


He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

by chaiya



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst, Canon Universe, Crushes, Fluff, M/M, Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-10-28 21:33:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10839873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaiya/pseuds/chaiya
Summary: Akira has been developing a huge crush on Yusuke. He feels no rush to confess his feelings--he's been enjoying getting to know Yusuke and spending countless summer afternoons by his side. When they aren't together, Akira spends his time working at the flower shop, Rafflesia, to earn some spare cash. His summer is going perfectly until Yusuke becomes a frequent patron of the shop --always purchasing mysterious bouquets--causing Akira to doubt if his feelings could ever be reciprocated.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Minor Spoilers involving Yusuke’s confidant ranks, random summer hang outs, and Phantom Thieves activities in August. No major plot spoilers.  
> Story begins during a canon summer hang out and evolves out of canon from there.

It was an unbearably humid Saturday evening, and Akira was spending it lying in bed with his shirt pulled up over his exposed stomach, willing himself to believe that this would somehow make his body feel even remotely cooler. He was fidgeting with his phone, trying to find a way to mindlessly pass the time as he attempted to get some sleep. In reality, he wasn’t that tired. His mind was pretty active after having spent the afternoon in Mementos with his teammates, but Morgana insisted that he stay in for the night and rest. He usually didn’t fight Morgana on that suggestion--he secretly appreciated that he could use Morgana as an excuse for staying in rather than always being on the go with jobs, homework, infiltration tools, and his friends. He needed this alone time.

He didn’t like too much time to himself, however, and his thoughts were already entertaining ideas of what he could do tomorrow on his first Sunday of summer vacation. Since moving to Tokyo, he had spent quite a bit of time with Ryuji, Ann, and Yusuke. Truth be told, he had seen quite a bit more of Yusuke than the others ever since he joined the Phantom Thieves a few weeks prior. At first, Akira was just helping him out with an art block, but eventually he found himself quite fond of Yusuke’’s quirks and seriously impressed by his talent. The corner of his lip curled up when he remembered some of their more bizarre hang outs. Like the time they went to a church for inspiration, or the time they sat in a boat together at Inokashira Park. Personally, their time together in that little boat at Inokashira had been Akira’s favorite afternoon in months. It was so nice to live in his own little bubble, just him and Yusuke, surrounded sunlight and water and lovers and greenery. It was peaceful, and everyone there in the boats and on shore seemed to be enjoying the late spring afternoon quite thoroughly. Truth be told, this was when his feelings turned from intrigue to a crush. It was so endearing that Yusuke had unintentionally taken them on a couples outing, and the way the sunlight came through the trees to shine in Yusuke’s hair and dance on his smooth pale skin captured Akira’s heart. He sighs contentedly, his heart warmed by the memory. 

As if on cue, his phone buzzes and Yusuke’s contact image appears on the screen.

“Huh…?, who could that be at this hour...?”, Morgana grumbles, having been disturbed from his sleep by the phone.

Akira ignores him as he swipes open his lock screen, already smiling as he reads the messages.

_“I’ll be intruding upon you tomorrow._  
_Your house manages to be cool despite this heat._  
_There’s a book I’d like to read, and should something happen, I would be ready in case we must assemble._  
_If it works with your schedule, we could hang out._  
_Until then, good day”._

__

It’s sweet that Yusuke feels a need to justify spending time with Akira, but he doesn’t need to have an excuse like weather or reading or Thieves missions to grace Akira with his presence. Akira responds right away, but doesn’t point any of this out. Satisfied, he puts down his phone and tries to quell his excitement and rest up for tomorrow.

“He’s definitely making the most of his summer vacation…” he hears Morgana mumble as he closes his eyes and rolls over.

\--

Akira had just finished dressing himself when he heard Sojiro’s voice calling him from downstairs.  
“Hey, Akira! One of your friends is here to visit.”

Wasting no time, Akira heads down to the cafe, jumping the last three stairs at the bottom of the staircase.

“Good morning, Akira, I’ve been waiting for you here”, he says smoothly from his spot at the booth. Akira feels the warm surge of emotion in his heart, a rush he’s used to experiencing whenever Yusuke comes around. He stands in front of the booth and looks down at Yusuke.

“Hi, have you been waiting long?” Akira asks, casually putting his hands into his pockets and cocking his head.

“Not long at all, I had just finished looking through some chapters of this art book for inspiration. Your timing is perfect”, Yusuke replies, smiling up at him.

“Perfect. Can I get you anything? Coffee or curry? If not, why don’t we head upstairs to the attic to leave room for the other customers in case they come in”.

“Upstairs sounds lovely”, he replies, standing and gathering his two art books and making his way with Akira to the stairs.

They spend several hours up in Akira’s room, at ease with each other. They discuss art and Medjed and their teammates. Yusuke is sitting relaxed on the couch, and Akira is slouched on his bed by the window. The heat is oppressive--Akira’s curly hair is clinging to his temples and the back of his neck, and Yusuke is clearly a bit overheated in his long flowing shirt. Akira can’t help but steal glances at the sticky skin of Yusuke’s exposed collar bone. 

After a comfortable silence, Yusuke looks up with a wistful look on his face. 

“Summer is the season for shaved ice”, he thinks aloud, not really expecting Akira to reply, “You should buy an air conditioner. If you do, I promise to come visit you here every day” he adds, throwing a charming smile Akira’s way.

“Let’s go buy one right now in that case”, Akira teases, and makes a show of pretending to pull himself up from the bed. Between money saved from heists, and job earnings from Rafflesia, maybe buying an air conditioner wouldn’t be such a bad idea if it meant that the rest of his summer vacation could be just like this moment.

“Don’t be absurd! That’s far too expensive! And anyway, where would you even find the money to pay for that? Surely not with the funds collected by our teammates--that money is for supplies and equipment!” Yusuke cuts in, not realizing that Akira was clearly joking around.

Akira laughs and rolls onto his side, propping his head up in his hand with his elbow supporting his weight on the mattress. “Of course not, Yusuke. I have a part-time job, you know”.

“You do?”

“Yes. I work as a florist at Rafflesia in the Shibuya Underground Mall on some evenings. I use some of the money for supplies, but I mostly just use it for my rail pass, some books, and going out to eat with Ryuji and Mishima”.

“I see...I suppose learning the art of floral arrangement is quite humble and charming. To learn about the language of plants and convey their meanings for lovers you will never meet…”  
.  
Akira smiles his crooked smile, charmed by Yusuke’s musing aloud. Of course Yusuke would make a part time job seem deeper than it actually was. 

There is a pause of silence, and Yusuke seems to stiffen just barely. He opens his mouth, ready to say something but not quite sure how to phrase it. Akira waits.

“...Speaking of lovers, have you had any?”

Akira is taken aback. It’s not that the question made him uncomfortable, but he and Yusuke had not talked about relationships or crushes or romance outside of the context of art, and Akira was a little anxious that this conversation could steer into a direction which would force him to reveal his innocent crush on Yusuke, or lie upfront about it.

“I haven’t”, he responds levely after a brief pause.

“Me neither”, Yusuke admits. “But have you found anyone of interest at Shujin Academy? Surely someone has struck you with their beauty”.

Akira chuckles, hoping that his laugh sounds casual and not nervous. He quickly tries to think of a response that isn’t too revealing, but also isn’t a lie. “Well….” he begins, and sees Yusuke focus his gaze on Akira rather intensely, “...when I first transferred to Shujin and the whole Kamoshida thing started happening, I was spending a lot of time with Ryuji…so...I had a crush on him for a short time” he admits. Yusuke’s expression is unreadable, but he remains focused on Akira.

“So…” he tries, “what happened with Ryuji then? Isn’t he straight?”.

“Yeah. Exactly. It wouldn’t have worked between us, so I quickly abandoned those feelings”.

Yusuke nods.

“I’m really happy Ryuji and I are just friends though” Akira adds, hoping Yusuke didn’t think he was still pining after his straight best friend.

“Of course.” Yusuke responds diplomatically, smiling gently at Akira. He wipes a bead of sweat from his forehead. “My throat has gotten rather dry from all this talking. Would you be so kind as to make us some coffee? Though I don’t want to intrude if you have other plans for tonight”.

“It’s no trouble!” Akira reassures him as he stands and heads down to the cafe. He’s happy for the change in conversation and pretty confident that he avoided any suspicion. Although crushes have tended to cloud Akira’s thoughts before, if he thought about it logically, he likely had nothing to fear about Yusuke discovering his true feelings. It was possible that Yusuke even felt the same way, or so Akira hoped. But Akira wasn’t ready to say anything about the topic, and he was content to spend the next couple of weeks lazing around Leblanc with his friend. His really cute, quirky, talented, and surprisingly strong friend.

Akira is lost in his tender feelings while he brews the coffee exactly as Sojiro taught him. Yusuke watches in silence, taking in each step of the process from the counter. Before long, they’re seated side by side, ready to take their first sip. Akira holds the cup to his lips with poise, and throws a glance to Yusuke. He’s aware that he looks charming as he brews and drinks his coffee, and he hopes this charm may have some effect on his friend. He confidently awaits Yusuke’s review as Yusuke sets down his cup back into the saucer.

“I’m confident that this is how coffee should taste, and I will learn to appreciate its taste” Yusuke says evenly. Akira laughs realizing that Yusuke must not be a fan of bitter black coffee, but appreciates Yusuke’s attempt at a compliment anyway.

“You don’t have to finish it if you don’t want. It’s late anyway, the caffeine may keep you up”, Akira says with a light chuckle.

“Nonsense, I will not waste your creation. And besides, it is summer vacation after all, so it hardly matters how late I remain awake”.

“That’s a fair point”. Akira checks his phone. It’s getting late, and as much as he enjoys Yusuke’s company, he’d like to close up the cafe and get some time to himself before bed. “When you’re finished, how about I walk you to the station? I know it’s not far, but it’d be nice to get out and stretch my legs” Akira casually suggests, hoping he doesn’t sound too eager to go on a night stroll with Yusuke.

“I would like that, thank you”.

\---  
About 45 minutes later, Akira locks the door to Leblanc behind him and turns to face Yusuke. His features are harshly shadowed in the dim light of the street lamp. It suits him. All lighting suits him. Akira grows self conscious wondering how he himself might look under this same lighting from Yusuke’s point of view. Maybe Yusuke would have a more elegant description of Akira’s features in this lighting other than just “harshly shadowed”. He shakes himself from his wandering thoughts of Yusuke analyzing his features with his artist’s gaze. “Shall we?”

“Yes”.

Yusuke walks with his hands swinging at his sides, and Akira starts out doing the same until their hands brush accidentally. His heart flutters at the touch, longing to lace is fingers through Yusuke’s. He keeps his hands shoved in his pockets until he and Yusuke reach the station.

“Thank you for today”, Yusuke says with a genuine smile on his face, rail pass ready in his right hand so he can pass through the gate and leave Akira on the other side.

“Any time”.

Akira turns and walks away, his warm smile hidden, not looking back as he throws his hand up in a lazy wave.


	2. Chapter 2

It was another hot evening, but the temperature in the Underground Mall was quite cool. Akira was two hours into his shift at Rafflesia, the local flower shop, where he had taken up an apprenticeship back in the spring. The job wasn’t physically taxing, but did require some charm, kindness, and an eye for detail. This made for the perfect summer job, in Akira’s opinion. It’d keep his mind occupied and he wouldn’t have to endure the heat and humidity.

Since it was a weeknight, there weren’t many customers coming by. Between trimming, pruning, and watering the flowers and plants, he made light conversation with the owner, a young woman named Hanasaki. They got along well enough, but Akira still felt that they were in the awkward getting to know each other phase of their coworker relationship, so their conversation topics mainly stuck to floral arrangements, the weather, and how Akira was doing in school. Just as Akira was really starting to burn out from the small talk, a customer walks in. Yusuke is standing at the entrance of the store, looking around uncertainly and standing reservedly with his right hand gripping his left arm. He looks around, taking in the details of the shop.

“Welcome to Rafflesia!” greets Hanasaki with a polite bow of her head.

“Hey, Yusuke” calls Akira, huge grin spreading across his face. He feels butterflies in his stomach, pleasantly surprised to see Yusuke in an unfamiliar setting. Did he come all this way just to visit him at work?

“Ah, is he a friend of yours from school?” asks Hanasaki.

“Not quite. I am a student in the Kosei art program. The two of us met at a museum this past spring”,  
Yusuke responds carefully.

“I see. Well I’ll let Akira assist you with your purchase then”. Hanasaki replies happily and returns to the back of the store to continue caring for some dahlia clippings.

“M-my purchase...yes, of course...That is why I’m here, to purchase a bouquet”.

Bemused and intrigued, Akira presses for more details. “What kind of bouquet? And for what occasion?” he asks in full employee mode.

“I require an aesthetically beautiful bouquet for my own uses” Yusuke states, unhelpfully.

Well that’s vague, thinks Akira. He heads to the counter and focuses on selecting several flowers. Usually when customers come in, they have a slightly clearer idea of what they’re looking for. Most patrons of Rafflesia at least knew which colors and shapes they’d like to see in their bouquet, even if they didn’t know the first thing about flower types. Akira was feeling the pressure to make an exquisite bouquet not only from Hanasaki, but from Yusuke as well. He never expected for Yusuke to show up at his work, and he suddenly felt like he was being judged and critiqued for every flower and every placement. As neither a florist nor an aspiring artist, he suddenly felt like quite the amateur. Akira took more time than usual on this particular bouquet and carefully selected the store’s best white anemones, red gerbera daisies, and chocolate cosmos. The colors of the petals were varying shades of maroons, deep purples, and white, and they were accented by the the burnt oranges and dark browns and blues of the disk florets. A lovely summer bouquet, he proudly thought. Once wrapped and tied, he presented the flowers to Yusuke, nervously awaiting for a harsh critique from the artist. 

“The shapes of the petals of the three flowers compliment each other well and create a good form. The two dark red flowers also compliment the white ones. Yes, this will do perfectly. Thank you, Akira”.

Akira beams back at him from across the counter, his grin only fading as curiosity returns to the forefront of his mind. What could Yusuke possibly need these flowers for? At this moment, Hanasaki returns to the counter to process Yusuke’s purchase at the cash register.

“My, a special someone sure is in for a treat when you show up to your date with a bouquet like that. Well done, Akira. Ah, and your total comes to 3,300 yen”, she says sweetly.

“R-right” Yusuke sputters, grabbing for his wallet with a pained expression on his face. Likely he had not realized how expensive bouquets could be, which only made Akira even more curious about the occasion--or person--that Yusuke could be investing so much money into tonight. The thought nagged at him, resulting in an anxious rush to his stomach.

Yusuke finishes paying and thanks them once again as he leaves the store with his bouquet. 

“He must be so thoughtful”, sighs Hanasaki wistfully, clearly imagining a romantic evening out herself.

“Yeah…”

Akira didn’t want to dwell on the interaction but he couldn’t help. Why should he care if Yusuke wanted to buy flowers? It wasn’t his business if Yusuke had someone to he’d like to give flowers to. He tried to assuage his jealousy by reminding himself that he’d surely know if Yusuke were seeing someone. They spent so much of their free time together that Akira would definitely notice if Yusuke were crushing on someone, let alone dating someone. These thoughts didn’t reassure him. What if Yusuke had been trying to tell him something the other night at Leblanc when he brought up the topic of lovers? Maybe he had been working up the courage to tell Akira about his new date, only to be distracted by Akira’s confession of a past crush on Ryuji. Akira was mentally kicking himself for the rest of his shift, beating himself up over answers he didn’t have. He resisted the urge to text Yusuke as he road the subway home to Yongen-jaya. If he really was on a date, Akira did not want to spoil it. It was probably good for Yusuke to branch out and spend time with people outside of the Phantom Thieves and his art program anyway. As much as Akira tried to be happy for Yusuke and the recipient of his bouquet, he couldn’t shake the jealousy growing inside of him. Frustrated by his own longing, Akira moodily resigned himself to his bed, now trying to convince himself that maybe Yusuke needed some flowers for his next painting. Yes. That sounds plausible. That sounds likely enough to abate the anxiety in his stomach and the tension prickling at the back of his neck. With hopes of distracting himself before bed, he spent the rest of the night texting the Phantom Thieves group chat and talking to Morgana about Medjed. At least this was a problem he could deal with and talk about. Morgana seemed to catch onto Akira’s poor mood, but didn’t press the matter. He probably thought it was just stress due to all of the things going on with Medjed. 

There were no other messages on his phone to check once the group chat died down, and Akira wasn’t quite sure what he would be up to doing the next day, so he decided against sending a text out to Mishima or Ann or Ryuji to hang out. He’d make up his mind tomorrow based upon who was free. 

\---

The next day, Akira awoke to a text from Ann inviting him out to see a movie. That seemed perfect. He could be distracted for a full two hours and wouldn’t even have to make any conversation. After some breakfast curry and coffee with Sojiro, Akira caught the train to Shibuya and met Ann outside of the theater.

The movie was entertaining enough. It was a tear-jerker love story and Ann was totally engrossed in the film. Even Morgana seemed to enjoy it.

“That’s the kind of love story girls want to see, you know?” comments Ann as they exit the theater together.

“I get you”, Akira replies with a nod.

Ann giggles, “Thanks for going along with it! I’m really glad you came, you’re a great friend!”.

Akira smiles fondly down at Ann, truly feeling grateful for her friendship as well. 

“Crepes?” he offers, not quite ready to end their hang out so early in the afternoon.

“Hell yes!” she exclaims, pulling him out of the lobby and into the hot, humid air of Central Street.

They spent quite a long time together, just until the sun started to set. Akira felt refreshed and was no longer fussing over Yusuke and his mysterious bouquet. After parting ways, Akira decides to visit the bath house to unwind before turning in for the night. Despite the heat, the water eases the tension in his body and soothes his mind. The medicinal bath feels great as well, and he returns to Leblanc feeling refreshed both physically and mentally. He puts in a DVD and crawls into bed, letting the show play in the background as he picks up his phone and scrolls through his apps. He texts Ann a bit, replaying the highlights of the day, and he ends up chatting with Yusuke for a while as well. Yusuke sends him some photos of the painting he’s been working on as his next submission piece. The photos are kind of blurry, and one of them even has his fingers over the bottom corner of the lense. Clearly Yusuke is not a mixed media artist, but Akira thinks this flaw of his is cute. Not working on a project himself that he can send photo updates on, Akira responds with awkward photos of a sleeping Morgana. 

_“Your angles are all wrong, and you have not captured Morgana in a nice light.  
You need practice.”_

Akira laughs and Yusuke’s lack of text humor and just keeps going with it. He responds with a zoomed in picture of Morgana’s face, grainy and pixelated due to the englargment.

_“Do not send me this”_

Akira realizes his cheeks hurt from smiling through a half hour text conversation and he feels light. Chatting with Yusuke comes so naturally, even though Yusuke can be rather oblivious. As the conversation dies down, Akira turns off the DVD player and bedroom light, plugs in his phone, and goes to sleep happy.


	3. Chapter 3

Half a week had passed since his hangout with Ann, and Akira had spent those several rainy days eating ramen with Ryuji, lounging around his attic with Yusuke, and getting a few late night meals with Mishima. Neither he nor Yusuke brought up the bouquet, and Akira hadn’t been back to work at the flower shop since.

Keeping up with his socializing streak, Akira sets out into the blazing afternoon sun after sleeping until noon. God he loved summer vacation and it’s lack of alarms. Knowing full well that Yusuke is also sleeps late during breaks before heading out for the day, Akira tries his luck at looking for Yusuke in the Shibuya Underground. He’s usually there killing time anyway, and odds are he’ll be there again today since he hadn’t invited himself over to Leblanc for the millionth time. Sure enough, there he stood by the juice stand, just as predicted. 

“Oh, hello Akira. Gathering the team to infiltrate the Palace are you?”

“Just looking for you, actually” Akira says hopefully.

“You must have a lot of time on your hands”, he laughs. “Unfortunately, today I am busy”, he adds, much to Akira’s dismay.

“Ah, right. Off to work on your painting?” Akira probes.

“Something like that. Well, I’ll be off now, my train will be departing soon” he says, bidding Akira goodbye. 

Somewhat unsettled at Yusuke’s aloof behavior, Akira decides to buy a juice since he’s there before checking his phone for other hangout options. There are none, and Akira briefly entertains the thought of calling everyone to the hideout to infiltrate the Palace anyway, just to spite Yusuke and his plans. But he realizes that this is no healthy way to process his disappointment, so instead he decides to spend the day keeping his hands and mind busy. Catching the train right back to Yongen-jaya, he heads to the batting cages. After just an hour of practicing, Akira is worn out. He’s covered in sweat and his muscles are sore, but he feels content. It’s the same feeling he experiences after a hard workout with Ryuji who seems to thrive on that post-training high he gets after a jog. After a refreshing shower, Akira feels properly energized and alert. He retreats to his attic and sets to work on infiltration tools, taking advice from Morgana about possible obstacles and challenges the team could face and which tools may be of the most use in the Metaverse. It’s a useful talk, and before he knows it, it’s nearly time for his shift at Rafflesia.

After a quick dinner, Akira heads out. Again, his shift is mostly uneventful. Hanasaki must be growing more comfortable around Akira, he guesses, because tonight she gossips about some of the mindless assaults going on in Shibuya. She confides that she’s been a bit worried working alone in the shop for the last several nights, so she’s grateful to have Akira by her side tonight. She must mean it, because she’s extra patient and encouraging when teaching Akira new arrangements and techniques. She even praises him more than usual after helping a 40 year-old-woman select the perfect orchid for her wife’s work desk. All of the praise and positive energy was really doing him good, and Akira was satisfied that his day had turned out much better than expected after being rejected by Yusuke early in the afternoon.

Just as Akira was reflecting on the day, pleased with his productivity and progress at work, Yusuke rounds the corner and stands at the entrance of the flower shop for the second night in a week. Excited, confused, and suspicious, Akira let’s Hanasaki beat him to welcoming Yusuke into the shop. 

“Hello again, what a pleasure it is to unexpectedly see you twice in a day” Yusuke says pleasantly.

“You’re at my place of work, that’s hardly unexpected” Akira points out in a friendly jibe.

“A fair point” Yusuke replies with a laugh.

“So what can I do for you? Here for another bouquet for your date?” Akira teases, half joking, half dying for him to confirm otherwise.

Yusuke blushes a bright pink. “I...yes I suppose I am here for another bouquet. You work in a flower shop after all. And so that is what I am here for”.

Akira deflates. Yusuke didn’t confirm that he was busy preparing for a date today, a date he was likely now heading to immediately after purchasing this next bouquet, but he definitely did not deny it either.

“Right. What will it be then”, Akira asks shortly.

“Well...how about something bright. Something clean, and warm, and lively. But not too fussy”.

“That I can do. Have you been studying up on flowers? You seem to know what you’re looking for this time”. Akira is impressed by Yusuke’s confident request and starts to believe that maybe Yusuke has just been studying and painting summer flowers after all.

“Yes well I stole Flowerpedia from your room the other day” Yusuke admits without an ounce of remorse in his voice. Akira laughs openly at this, and honestly, he’s touched that Yusuke has taken an interest in his part time job.

“Fair enough. I hope you enjoyed it--it’s definitely helped me on the job, no doubt. Anyway, I have the perfect idea for your request”.

Akira turns his back to Yusuke and sets to work selecting the marigolds, yarrow, and oxalis flowers from their vases. The collection of small white, yellow, and orange petals remind Akira of a warm sunny afternoon, as if he had just plucked the flowers from a sunny meadow. After putting his heart and soul into the flowers, he presents the completed bouquet to Yusuke, who studies it intently. He’s silent for a full thirty seconds before he makes any comment.

“Yes. This will do. I can feel the warmth and light from this bouquet” he states matter of factly. “It reminds me of our time at Inokashira Park”, he elaborates quietly, a pink blush dusting his cheeks. Akira notices for the first time how his blush clashes with the cool tones of his blue hair. He wonders if Yusuke would resent the way a simple dash of pink throws off his carefully crafted appearance.

The thought doesn’t linger, because Akira feels his own cheeks heat up. He feels the familiar rush to his heart and stomach that Yusuke is so good at causing.

“I’m glad you like it” he says humbly, forgetting for a moment that this is not a bouquet from him to Yusuke, but a bouquet from Yusuke to...someone else.

Hanasaki interrupts the tender moment. “Thank you for returning to Rafflesia! Your total will be 3,000 yen!” she says cheerfully.

Akira actually sees Yusuke gulp upon hearing the total. There is absolutely no way that Yusuke can afford this bouquet. In fact, Akira had long suspected that one of the reasons they spent so much time inside Leblanc together was because it didn’t require spending money like going out for sushi or going shopping would. Just recently, Yusuke had even commented that he was so broke, he’d have to set money aside for the train in case the Phantom Thieves had to call a meeting.

“I’ll pay actually” Akira cuts in, addressing Hanasaki. “He bought me a bunch of manga the other day, so I owe him” he explains, choosing the first lie that came to mind.

“My, what a nice friendship you two have” Hanasaki comments. “I can just take it out of your pay at the end of the night, if that is alright with you”.

“That’s fine, yeah”.

Yusuke’s face is a mix of shock and relief. “I--thank you, Akira. That is very kind”. 

“Don’t mention it. I’m sure the bouquet will be a great still life model for a sketch or painting in any case”.

“This is true”, Yusuke replies, genuine happiness glinting in his eyes as he clutches the bouquet close to his chest. “Well then, I must be off”.

“Yeah, I need to get back to work anyway” Akira says, gesturing vaguely to the empty store that definitely did not require his immediate attention.

“Very well. Goodnight, Akira”.

“Goodnight, Yusuke”.

And with that Yusuke rounds the corner and disappears from sight. Akira is left to close up the shop in silence with Hanasaki. His mind is swimming. Tonight feels like it was something special. He doesn’t even try to hide the smile on his face from Hanasaki while he’s lost in thoughts of Inokashira Park, Yusuke’s blush, Yusuke’s warm gaze, Yusuke’s attention to detail, Yusuke’s investment in his hobbies...He snaps out of it when Hanasaki starts discussing his pay--or lack thereof--for the evening. They make small talk for the rest of the evening, before Hanasaki manages to completely turn his mood around from overwhelming, heart fluttering, tenderness, to jealousy and doubt.

“He must really like this person he’s dating if he keeps bringing such beautiful bouquets! Made by his closest friend no less! Whoever is dating him is so lucky…” She says dreamily.

Right. His supposed date. There was simply no way Yusuke would spend so much on flowers just to see him at work, and if it were a simple question of practicing capturing flowers in their natural artistic beauty, then surely he would just admire flowers for free at at park or in a garden? Tightness clutches at his heart and Akira’s spirit sinks. That must be it, and Yusuke must have a reason for not telling him about the date yet. 

Akira pouts all the way home and flops face down onto the bed without washing up. Morgana is speaking to him, but Akira isn’t paying him any attention. The only thing that stirs Akira is the sound of his phone ringing, alerting him to new text messages. He groans and fumbles clumsily for the phone without lifting his face from the pillow. Once the phone is in his hand, he rolls over and holds the phone to his face, squinting without his glasses. It’s Yusuke.

_“They were perfect, thank you”_

Akira smiles, but his mood hasn’t improved. He puts the phone down without replying and rolls onto his back, staring up at the dark ceiling and listening to the noises of the night which creep through his open window. He stays there for a while, thinking and doing nothing, just sitting in his conflicting emotions. As observant and socially adept he was, he just could not figure out Yusuke’s intentions here, and Akira was starting to worry that he would end up getting hurt if this crush continued on for much longer.


	4. Chapter 4

Akira awoke to find his pajamas and hair damp with sweat. It was early in the morning, but overheating had caused him enough discomfort for his body to wake him up at just 8am. Too lazy to get up and start his day, Akira groggily peels off his shirt and sweatpants so he can stay in bed in just his boxers. It’s stuffy enough in the attic that exposing his skin to the air barely helps, but he’s at least free from his sweaty clothing. He flips his pillow over and rests his face on the cool side of the pillowcase before reaching for his phone to check for any early morning messages he may have missed overnight. There were a few unread messages from Yusuke. 

_”I cannot live like this._  
_The heat has become so oppressive that I’ve had to sleep with a damp cloth over my face to keep cool._  
_I nearly suffocated, Akira_  
_If you’re free today, how about we go somewhere with air conditioning to escape the heat for a while? Perhaps a movie?”_

Akira smiles, now imagining what Yusuke must look like over in his dorm. Was he also walking around in his shorts? Did he pull back his long hair? Was he lying on the floor beside the small fan in defeat? Imagining Yusuke trying to cope with a heatwave in his dorm made Akira wish he were there with him, uncomfortably sticky and sitting on the floor sipping canned iced coffees from the vending machine around the corner from the dorm entrance. But escaping the heat _did_ sound very appealing, although Akira really wasn’t in the mood to see another movie. He tried to think of an alternative. Inokashira Park would be too hot, neither of them could afford to shop at Harajuku, and visiting a museum while Yusuke is trying to complete his submission would probably be too stressful. He bites the inside of his cheek, trying to mentally picture all of the places in Tokyo he had become familiar with. He grins, coming up with a perfect idea.

_”I don’t feel like a movie. How about the Ikebukuro Planetarium? It’s cool and dark inside”_

Immediately, Akira sees that Yusuke is typing a response.

_”How soon does it open and do you think they’d let us bring snacks?”_

He laughs aloud when he reads the text.

_”Who knows? If you want, you could come here for some curry before we leave and we can get ice cream afterwards, my treat”_

Another immediate reply.

_”I’m on the way”_

Now in a much better mood, Akira sits up and gives Morgana a scratch behind the ear before getting up from bed.

“Hands off! I don’t need your sweaty hands on my fur” Morgana whines as Akira grabs a fresh change of clothes and heads down to the bathroom to wash up.

Akira is just finishing up the curry and is about to feed Morgana when he hears the bell chime as Yusuke opens the door to Leblanc. His hair is sticking to his forehead and temples and he looks miserable.

“It’s as hot as Futaba’s Palace out there. And her Palace is in a desert of all places” he groans, dropping his bag onto the seat of one of the empty booths. Akira unties his apron and comes around the counter to greet Yusuke. He walks over, and it’s not until he’s just a step away from Yusuke that he realizes he has no excuse for approaching Yusuke. What did he honestly think he was going to do? Walk up and hug him, wishing him a good morning? Grab his hand and lead him to the stools at the counter? Embarrassed, Akira tries to come up with some kind of logical explanation to be standing so close to Yusuke at the front of the cafe. Yusuke’s posture has stiffened, and his face shows confusion. 

“I, uhh, need to flip the sign on the door to Open” he tries, grateful for his ability to think quickly. Yusuke buys it and walks over to the counter, taking his usual seat and watching Akira walk back from the front door and back around the counter to serve the curry. Akira swears he sees Morgana roll his eyes.

They make light conversation as they eat their meal, trying to plan the easiest way to get to Ikebukuro with the lowest train fare and fewest amount of station transfers. Once they’ve decided on a route and washed up the dishes, Sojiro enters and thanks Akira for opening up the cafe for him and tells the two not to get into any trouble as they head out the door. 

The heat is even worse outside of the cafe, and they’re too hot to make much conversation on the commute. Finally, the pair walk through the front doors of the planetarium, grateful for the blast of air conditioning that rushes over them. The lobby is quite large. It is round with a marble floor and white pillars which hold up the second floor balcony that wraps around the perimeter. Directly in front of them is the information and ticketing desk, with the lineup area sectioned off by velvet ropes. In the center of the the lobby is an interactive sculpture of the solar system on the lobby floor, with the sun large in the center, rising to a full eight feet in height, and the other planets scattered precisely around the room in orbit. Akira let out a small laugh as a young child attempts to climb on top of Mars. Stairs lead to the second floor balcony, which wind around the interior leading patrons in a circle toward the planetarium entrance at the other end of the circle. They use their student passes to get in for free and make their way up and around the balcony. Akira and Yusuke walk through the double doors into the nearly pitch black room, illuminated only by the simulated starry sky dome above them.

“Over there. There are pillows and cushions for laying down and looking up at the dome. Let us go” Yusuke says, taking the lead.

Akira moves forward uncertainly, unable to see very well in the dark. He reaches forward to put his hand on Yusuke’s shoulder for guidance, but Yusuke stops. Akira takes one more step and they’re standing side by side. “Sorry…” he mutters. “I can’t see where I’m going so I was trying to follow you”. 

Yusuke doesn’t respond, he simply extends his arm to Akira in a very gentlemanly fashion. Akira takes his arm uncertainly, but the weirdness fades almost immediately and is replaced by a rush of affection. They walk arm in arm to the cushions and lay down. Akira pulls a bag of Pretz out of his bag and offers a few of the sticks to Yusuke, who begins snacking on them happily. They make whispered conversations together, pointing out the few constellations they know, which wasn’t many. Akira starts to make up his own constellations, much to Yusuke’s amusement. 

“That right there is the Ginza Line” Akira proclaims authoritatively.

“Surely you are joking. Even I know that to be the constellation Draco. See? That star at the end, Eltanin, proves that I’m right” Yusuke challenges.

“That’s not Eltanin, that’s Asakusa station” Akira quips. This is met with Yusuke elbowing him in the side, the two boys reduced to quiet giggles on the floor. Laughter subsiding, Akira lets his hand fall back to his side on the cushions. His hand lands in such a way that his pinky finger is just covering the last two fingers of Yusuke’s hand beside him. Akira tenses, but he boldly doesn’t move his hand, unlike the time he had shoved his hands into his pockets when their hands grazed on the walk to Yongen-jaya station recently. Yusuke doesn’t move either, and the gentle warmth of his hand is welcome in the cold, dark planetarium. Akira’s chest tightens. He feels a rush of warmth to his stomach and face, and his pulse quickens. Thank god for the darkness, he really didn’t need Yusuke seeing how much he was blushing over the slight contact. They stay like this in quiet, content silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Akira begins to weigh the pros and cons of just confessing his feelings to Yusuke right here and now under the fake starry night sky. On one hand, it’d be great to have closure. Either Yusuke felt the same way or he didn’t, and either way Akira could move on with his life. It may even be good to get rejected now before Akira’s crush develops into a deeper longing than it already has, then he and Yusuke could just get over the awkwardness and move onto being good friends, like he and Ryuji had back in May. And if Yusuke returned his feelings? Well then perhaps they could just stay like this a while longer, touching and comfortable in each others’ presence. Akira was just about to work up the courage to say something, despite the doubts about the mysterious bouquets and the unconfirmed status of Yusuke’s orientation, when Yusuke spoke first.

“As much as I am enjoying this, I really must be going. It’s late and I have somewhere to be”.

Trying to hide the hurt in his voice, Akira responds, “What about ice cream?”.

“I’m sorry, I’ll have to reschedule. I completely forgot that I have someone to meet and it’s nearly time for me to be on my way” he says, standing up. Akira mourns the empty space at his side where Yusuke had been. Yusuke extends a hand and helps Akira to his feet, holding onto Akira’s hand a second longer than absolutely necessary. “Thank you so much for today. I truly enjoyed your company and I feel terrible for bringing an end to our time together so abruptly. You needn’t walk back to the station with me, I’ll be going a different way.”

“Right…” Akira says, not trying to hide the disappointment in his voice this time. Yusuke once again guides him out of the dark room, but they part ways in the lobby after a quick goodbye. Akira walks back to the station alone, briefly considering buying himself an ice cream anyway, before deciding against it. Why was Yusuke being so dodgy? Where was he rushing off to and who did he need to meet with? Was it at all related to the bouquets he had been purchasing? He thought back to their interactions throughout the day, replaying the events moment by moment. An icy feeling settles into his stomach. Maybe Yusuke had a secret lover after all. Maybe he had felt uncomfortable by their touching hands but was too polite to say anything. Dread building, Akira begins kicking himself mentally, so fixated on this confusing relationship dynamic that he was not even paying attention to the stations his train is stopping in. “First Ryuji and now this” he thinks, pain clutching his heart. Of course he’d fall for his straight friend and then immediately fall for someone whose heart belonged to another. It was just a simple crush, so why was Akira so upset? 

Time flies when your thoughts are racing, and soon Akira is back at Shibuya Station. He decides he’d be better off spending the night with a friend rather than moping around in his room and avoiding questions from Morgana. He pulls out his phone and checks it for the first time since morning. There are a few messages, mostly from his teammates plus some from Yoshida and Hifumi. Akira can’t bear to be with someone who knows him well enough to read the emotions from his face, meaning Ann and Ryuji were out. He also couldn’t imagine being passionate about politics and speeches tonight either, since his mind was so preoccupied, so Yoshida would have to wait as well. That left Hifumi. They’d only hung out once or twice but she gave Akira the impression that she was a private person who wouldn’t pry into Akira’s emotional state. Besides, trying to keep pace with her in a game of shogi was hard enough, so maybe it’d serve as a good distraction. Akira turns and heads back to the fare gates and sets off for the church in Kanda.

“Kurusu, good evening” Hifumi greets amicably from her seat at the pew. “I’d like to teach you protective and defensive moves tonight. Protecting your most beloved pieces may be crucial to success. Much like knowing when to guard one’s heart, don’t you agree?”

Akira smiles weakly and nods, taking a seat beside her and shoving his bag under the pew. “Let’s get started then”.

The game goes exactly as expected. Akira suffers a crushing defeat at Hifumi’s skillful hand. She is a humble and graceful winner and doesn’t tease Akira for the loss, but she does offer a few tips for next time. 

“You were distracted tonight, were you not?”

“Mm” Akira hums in confirmation.

“We don’t need to talk about it, but know that I’m always here if you’d ever like a distraction or someone to listen” she offers kindly.

Akira smiles his first genuine smile since the planetarium, touched by her friendship. “That means a lot, thank you”. He is surprised to find himself welling up with emotion. When he transferred to Shujin, he expected the next year of his life would be hell. He thought he’d be the subject of endless rumors, alone and friendless in Tokyo. But he was making friends despite himself, and he was truly blessed to have people like Yusuke, Ann, Hifumi, Ryuji, Mishima, and Morgana. “The same goes for you. If you ever need advice on something that isn’t how to destroy me at shogi, I’m all ears”. Hifumi returns his smile and nods. Akira moves to stand and they say their goodbyes. On his way back to Leblanc, he feels much better than he did a few hours ago, but he is admittedly getting a little tired of the emotional roller coaster that Yusuke has put him on.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minor spoiler note: direct reference to Yusuke's rank 10 event.

It had been a busy week. The team had spent a couple of days at Futaba’s Palace, and he and Ryuji were sporting matching bruises from when they were both knocked onto their asses by the same attack. Yusuke had submitted his piece entitled Desire & Hope to an art show and taken first place, which Akira had the privilege of witnessing. And on top of all that, Yusuke had bought another bouquet at Rafflesia, this time a simple collection of yellow tulips and calla lilies--an odd combination, but he was a paying customer and Akira had no choice but to fulfill the request. 

Today was the first day all week that the five of them were all free to meet up for something besides infiltrating the Palace. This afternoon, the Thieves gathered merely as friends, brought together to celebrate Yusuke’s success with his painting. Akira had planned a simple celebration party with the help of Morgana and Sojiro. It was nothing as extravagant as their end of mission feasts, but it was special nonetheless. Ryuji and Ann arrived at Leblanc with a bag full of Yusuke’s favorite snacks from the convenience store, and Makoto had arrived early to help Akira prepare a cake and some iced coffee. The cake was chocolate with vanilla icing and fresh cut strawberries on top. It wasn’t the most beautiful of baked creations, but Akira and Makoto agreed that it looked like it was made with more love than the exquisite store bought cakes found across the city.

With everything finally prepared, the group take their seats at the booth. Morgana is seated on the ledge to the side near the window. Ann and Yusuke sit together with Ann on the inside seat and Yusuke on the aisle seat. Ryuji sits directly across from Ann, and Makoto is next to him, facing Yusuke in her own aisle seat across the table. Akira approaches with the cake and sets it on the table in the center. He looks around at his friends, frowning slightly that there is no free seat for him. It seems he’d just have to squeeze in and share the booth three to a seat. He chooses to scoot in next to Yusuke, making it a tight squeeze for Ann, Yusuke, and himself. His thigh is pressed closely to Yusuke’s, and Akira is comforted by the contact, not minding that he had to be squished into the seat at all. Everyone is complimenting Makoto and Akira on their cake, and Yusuke is the first to interrupt the string of comments.

“Thank you all so much for your support in recent weeks” he says humbly. “With your guidance and friendship, I feel that I was truly able to capture what it means to feel desire and hope. Especially thanks to you, Akira. It must have been troublesome dealing with me, but I meant what I said the other day at the museum--you have been my light.”

Akira is struck by his vulnerability, and blushes at the recognition.

“HA! You made Akira turn bright red. Nice going, Yusuke” Ryuji teases. This doesn’t help Akira’s blush lessen in the slightest, and Yusuke’s face turns slightly pink itself.

“T-that was not my intention!” Yusuke cries, avoiding eye contact with Ryuji and looking down at the table and fidgeting with his hands. Akria’s gaze falls on Yusuke’s fingers, anxiously plucking and pinching at his nail beds. He notices leftover flecks of yellow and white paint on some of his nails. He resists the urge to reach out and hold Yusuke’s hand to quell his nervousness.

“Shut up, Ryuji! Way to ruin a thoughtful expression of gratitude!” Ann interjects. “Don’t be embarrassed Yusuke, I depend on Akira too, so I know what you mean!” She adds, turning to face Yusuke and Akira at her side, flashing a warm and encouraging smile.

“Thank you, Ann” Yusuke replies, more relaxed now.

“So, Yusuke, have you begun working on your next piece yet? Or are you taking a break?” Makoto inquires.

“Yes, I have begun doing so. I am continuing my collection on matters of the human heart. I hope to submit this next painting to an art show at the end of the month” Yusuke explains.

“Ooh, what are you painting this time, Yusuke?” Morgana asks, taking genuine interest.

“I cannot say” Yusuke says, coy smile spreading across his face. I will only tell you the concept, which is ‘fragments of longing’”, he concedes.

“Fragments of longing? What? Are you longing for someone, Yusuke? Come on, tell us all the details!” insists Ryuji as he sports a shit eating grin.

“W-well, that’s--” sputters Yusuke, eyes wide in panic.

“He must be! How else could he paint longing if he had no experience in love?” Morgana points out, smirking.

“Well you have been buying a bunch of bouquets from me at work, so just tell us who it’s for already” Akira joins in, curiosity slowly killing him.

“B-but”.

“Has he now? Well that is certainly evidence to support Ryuji and Morgana’s hypothesis. Is it someone from Kosei?” Makoto cross examines.

“No…” Yusuke admits quietly.

“Then who!” Ann begs.

Akira’s pulse is drumming wildly. He’s not sure he wants to know. He’d rather Yusuke just deny it all and move on to a different topic. He begins shoving cake into his mouth, taking a huge first bite.

“Can we not talk about this now? It is just a painting I am working on, and with any success, the painting will tell the story itself, without my words.”

“Wow, how deep! I can’t wait to see it” says Ann, accepting this answer.

“So the painting will tell us about your longing on its own, huh?” Morgana asks, still smirking. “Does that mean you are just going to paint a portrait of Joker then?”

“What are you saying!” Yusuke yelps. He and Akira are both blushing violently now. “Of course I won’t be painting Akira!” Yusuke says defensively. Akira is crushed by this final, definitive reply. So his feelings aren’t reciprocated after all. Suddenly, Akira loses his appetite, sugary cake no longer appealing to him.

“Ah come on, he was just joking, lighten up” Ryuji says with a laugh.

“In any case, we’ll all continue to support your artwork in whatever way we can. We’re proud of you, Yusuke” Makoto concludes cordially.

“Yeah! What are friends for?” Ann chimes in.

Yusuke smiles weakly, beginning to calm down. Akira can feel Yusuke’s thigh muscles relax, releasing the tension he had been holding in his body. The closeness of their bodies in the tight booth is no longer comforting. It felt more like tangible heartbreak to Akira. At least he wouldn’t have to embarrass himself with a confession now. The conversation had turned to everyone discussing their summer vacation so far, but Akira wasn’t listening. He excuses himself from the table, claiming he’d need to start washing some of the dishes used for baking the cake. He isn’t absent from the table long when he notices Ryuji staring at him from the table with a look of concern on his face. When their eyes meet, Ryuji leaves the others to the conversation saying he’s off to help Akira with the dishes.

“Ryuji doing something helpful for once?” Akira hears Morgana jab. Ryuji ignores him.

“Hey man, you doing okay? You seem off.” Ryuji says quietly, standing beside Akira at the sink. Akira doesn’t look up from the mixing bowl that he is washing intently.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine” he mumbles.

“What’s going on? You know you can tell me anything” Ryuji offers, touching Akira’s arm with his hand in an attempt to comfort him.

Akira sighs. “It’s not a big deal. I was just thrown off by Yusuke’s comment. I didn’t think the idea of crushing on me would be so appalling to him”.

Ryuji inhales and runs his hand through his hair. “That’s rough man, but I don’t think he meant it like that you know? Maybe he was just saying you wouldn’t be in the painting, not that he doesn’t see you as desireable. You two are so close, I’m sure he’s able to see that you’re a total catch”.

Akira’s snaps his head to face Ryuji, eyebrows raised. “You think I’m a catch? I’m touched”.

Ryuji blushes slightly. “Well, yeah dude. You’re a great guy. We all see that, especially Yusuke. I mean look how much time he spends with you even when he should be painting”.

Akira smiles, warmed by Ryuji’s tender reassurance. “I guess you’re right. I’m just a bit jealous of whoever he’s been buying those bouquets for. Those flowers plus that comment really just hit me in a weak spot”.

“Who said those flowers are for someone else? Have you tried asking him outright?” Ryuji asks, trying to be helpful.

“Well...kind of...but he usually deflects his answer or changes the topic or gets interrupted” Akira says in defeat.

“There has to be another explanation. Yusuke is too oblivious to win someone over without our help. We’d totally know about it if he were taking time away from Thieves stuff and painting in order to go on dates. There are only so many hours in a day you know”.

Akira was reassured by this last comment, though not wholly convinced. He was still curious why Yusuke had run off from their planetarium date--hang out, he corrects himself mentally--the other day. “Thanks Ryuji, that makes me feel better” he replies, smiling at his best friend.

“Alright! That’s the Akira I know. Come on, let’s get back to the party. The dishes can wait”.

“You’re right. For once.”

“Shut the hell up right now”.

“Make me.”

“Ugh”.

The rest of the party was very enjoyable, and Akira was in much higher spirits by the time he was seeing his friends out the door and locking up. With just Morgana left behind, the two of them head up to the attic to relax. 

“Yusuke is totally painting a portrait of you” Morgana teases, brat that he is. Akira does a fake cat hiss back at him and Morgana rolls his eyes. “You’re more of a cat than I am, you know that? I can’t wait to be human again so these cat jokes can just stop already”. He flicks his tail in annoyance but curls up next to Akira lovingly despite himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flowers selected by Akira in previous chapters were chosen for aesthetic & seasonal purposes, but any flowers specifically requested by Yusuke, in this chapter as well as future chapters, are chosen for their symbolic meaning.  
> Calla Lily: magnificence  
> Yellow Tulip: Hopelessly in love


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minor spoiler note: direct reference to mid-level Makoto confidant rank events.

Over half a week had passed since the celebration at Leblanc, but Akira hadn’t seen much of his teammates apart from Makoto and Morgana. He felt like he needed a little space from Yusuke so that he could get his racing thoughts under control, and besides, Makoto was new to the team, so it was best that Akira got to know her as well. Most of his evenings were spent with Hifumi or reading in the empty cafe. Today he was off pretending to be Makoto’s boyfriend on some double date with Eiko and some suspicious guy she was seeing. As fun as it was to go undercover with Makoto by pretending to be in love with her, it was getting a little draining having to put up an act. Makoto was definitely smart and beautiful, but as far as girls go, she isn’t really Akira’s type. He finds Hifumi to be pretty cute, and if it weren’t for his huge annoying crush on Yusuke, maybe he’d be into her instead. Damn those beautiful Kosei students. He doesn’t put much more thought into it. At the end of yet another fake date, Makoto invites him to go shopping. Although he does have a little time before his shift at Rafflesia, he kind of wants to just do his own thing, and so they part ways. Makoto heads back to the station alone, while Akira turns down a side street to say hi to Chihaya, the local fortune teller. 

“I sense the aura of the Emperor card in your energies”, greets Chihaya.

Akira snorts, but is definitely intrigued. “Do you have time to do a reading then? I can’t stay long though”.

“Of course, take a seat! We will do a simple three card spread.” She pulls out her tarot deck and meditates on the cards. Akira waits patiently, used to having his cards read by now. She begins laying out the cards. First, the Six of Swords Reversed is drawn and placed on the table. Next, sure enough, is the Emperor, upright this time. Finally, she places an upright Two of Cups on the other side of the Emperor. It takes no time at all for Chihaya to begin interpreting and explaining the cards, years of practice clearly making divination second nature.

“The first card shows your present situation. A reversed Six of Swords indicate an imbalance in communication. Perhaps you or someone you know is being unclear”. Akira lets this sink in. “At the center of it all is the Emperor, a powerful card symbolizing a strong male presence in your life”. Akira grins. “Besides the Emperor lies the Two of Cups, and this indicates the potential outcome of your struggle to communicate with the Emperor”. Akira leans in, hanging on Chihaya’s every word now. “It’s a lovely card, the Two of Cups. Do you know much about it?” Akira shakes his head no. “Traditionally it refers to soulmates--two people united in perfect harmony by love or other such positive energy or emotion. Do not worry about your conflict with the Emperor, Kurusu, all will be well! Fate is on your side!” Akira smiles and thanks Chihaya, now in a great mood on his way to work. Maybe he was overthinking the flowers and the portrait comment, like Ryuji suggested.

Now at work, Hanasaki gossips all about her date this past weekend while the two of them change the soil for some of the house plants in the back of the shop. Akira is playfully teasing her over her gushing feelings when Yusuke walks into the shop, coming straight up to the counter. Now it’s Akira’s turn to feel flustered over gushy feelings. He still gets butterflies whenever he sees Yusuke. Did his hair always curve ever so slightly from behind his ear? It suited him. Akira shakes away the thoughts and greets Yusuke before Hanasaki can chastise him for being unprofessional, even if the customer was a close friend and regular patron.

“Here for another mysterious bouquet, Yusuke?” Akira asks, raising an eyebrow and studying his face.

“Yes, tonight I require rather specific flowers, if that’s not too much trouble. I’ve saved up some money from Mement--my part time job” he says, catching himself at the last minute. Akira smiles in amusement. 

“What will it be then?”

“I require white gardenias and peach stock, if you carry it”.

“What a lovely combination!” Hanasaki chimes in, overhearing the exchange. “We just finished preparing stock flowers, and the peach ones came out perfectly! You’ll take care of this, won’t you Akira? I’ll finish with the soil for us both”.

“Sure, thanks” he replies, selecting a few stems of stock and a few stems of gardenia, organizing them together just so.

“Since it’s only a few flowers this time, the price will be cheaper” Akira comments as he punches in the numbers into the register. “The total comes to 1,500 yen”

Yusuke smiles in relief and hands over the money. He studies the bouquet, as Akira walks him to the front of the store. They linger near the entrance while Akira watches. “Do you know the symbolic meaning of stock?” he asks.

“Well maybe I would if _someone_ didn’t steal Flowerpedia from my room a couple weeks ago” Akira teases.

“That is fair. It shows lasting beauty and the bonds of affection. I rather like both of those meanings, don’t you?”.

Akira considers this for a moment, thinking about what that means to him. Lasting beauty? That seemed like something only Yusuke was super preoccupied with. As for the bonds of affection, that phrase resonates with Akira. It reminds him of all the special moments he’s shared with Yusuke and his friends. “I think it’s beautiful that the flower petals of stock are bunched so closely together, highlighting the closeness of the bonds of affection. There is lasting beauty in togetherness” he analyzes, impressed with himself.

Yusuke nods, plucking a single stem of stock and placing it in the front chest pocket of Akira’s work apron. “I made the same interpretation myself” he says quietly as he adjusts the flower just so, fingers lingering on Akira’s chest. Akira’s jaw goes slack, totally lovestruck by the blatant show of affection. His mouth is dry and is heart is pounding. His eyes are locked with Yusuke’s for what seems like an eternity and Akira just can’t take it. He grabs at the hand still resting beside the flower in his chest pocket. Yusuke’s eyes widen slightly, but the expression on his face does not change, except for the reddening of his cheeks. Akira has no thought for what he plans to do now that he has Yusuke’s hand in his own, their faces barely a foot apart, but that doesn’t matter.

“Ahem” coughs Hanasaki, eyeing them wearily. Yusuke’s hand returns to his side, he blinks and breaks eye contact, smiling softly. The physical longing in Akira’s body does not subside in the slightest as Yusuke backs away, his heartache almost too painful to contain as his heart throbs, threatening to burst through his chest with every pulse. The moment is enough to temporarily wash away all his doubt and jealousy regarding the endless bouquets for a stranger. Yusuke thanks him and Hanasaki before disappearing from the store, bouquet in hand.

“He’s a funny one” comments Hanasaki.

“How do you mean?” asks Akira, confused. Sure, _he_ knew that Yusuke was a strange man, but Hanasaki couldn’t know him well enough yet to make that observation.

“Well for one, he only comes in when you’re working. I’ve never seen him come by any time except your shift”.

Akira doesn’t say anything, waiting for Hanasaki to continue her explanation.

“And on top of that, he’s gotten rather particular about his flower orders. Don’t you remember? At first he clearly had no idea what he was doing or what flowers he wanted. I thought he was just coming to buy a bouquet to help you out and make you look good on the job for fulfilling an easy request. But then he quickly got more specific and thoughtful with his requests, meaning he’s buying these flowers with purpose and intention”.

Akira cannot deny that, and nods, encouraging Hanasaki to continue.

“And on top of all that, have you paid attention to the flowers he’s been ordering? I’m not making jokes about his bouquets being used for dates as a pure assumption. He’s buying flowers that one would give to a lover. Yellow tulips? I mean really. It’s plain as day that he’s trying his hardest to win someone over”.

“You think so?” probes Akira, doubt creeping in.

“I know so” she replies with confidence. “Didn’t he at least tell you who he’s seeing? How could you have not noticed that your best friend is clearly swooning over someone special?” she chastises.

“I...don’t know…” he says in defeat looking down at the floor, right hand gently touching the peach petals of the stock flower in his chest pocket.

“In any case, that was so nice of him to share that stem of stock with you. It compliments your grey eyes quite nicely” she says, more friendly now after her previous critical comment.

“I see.”

“Good work tonight, I’ll leave your pay by the register. See you next shift!”

\---

Akira had gone home and told Morgana that he wasn’t in the mood to talk, and went to bed straight away. He definitely didn’t dream about Yusuke all night. He absolutely did not dream about what could have happened if Hanasaki had not been working last night. His dream definitely did not include reaching up, putting his hand to Yusuke’s pink cheek, and guiding his face towards his for a sweet kiss in the middle of the flower store.

Dizzy from his own lovesick dreams, Akira splashes cold water on his face to clear his mind and get ready for the day. He has no plans, but knowing his friends, one of them would surely show up unannounced to spend the day at Leblanc any moment now. After a quick breakfast, Akira grabs a book from his room. It seemed he still had The Gallant Rogue checked out from the school library, having forgotten to return it before the summer break. He took a seat at the booth and began reading about Goemon.

Thirty pages into the story, Akira is interrupted by the arrival of Yusuke at Leblanc. He smiles as he approaches the booth, placing his bag on the table.

“I see you’re already ahead of me” Yusuke says, gesturing at the book in Akira’s hands as he pulls his own books from his bag. “What is it that you’re reading?”

Suddenly self-conscious, Akira shows him the cover of the book. Yusuke smiles in satisfaction. “Well, I won’t interrupt you any longer” he says, still smiling as he opens his own book and begins reading.

Time slips by as they spend the day together reading, snacking, and talking about whatever comes to mind. Yusuke inevitably asks Akira if he can stay longer once he notices the sun beginning to set, and of course, Akira says yes. They head to the supermarket around the corner to buy some more snacks and then return to Akira’s room to watch a DVD together. Akira drags the table and TV close to the bed so that they can watch in comfort and lounge on the mattress. Akira’s bed is small, and the boys are forced to curl up together despite the heat. 

Akira finds it difficult to focus on the movie with Yusuke’s body pressed right up beside him. He’s a little overheated but he doesn’t dare move. They’ve decided to watch The Grudge, which Akira has seen before twice already, so he’s relatively certain that his pounding heart has much more to do with Yusuke flinching into Akira’s body for comfort during the scary scenes than it has to do with the actual content of the film. During the climax, Yusuke is so scared that he hides his face in Akira’s shoulder. His hair smells clean, and Akira wills himself not to press a kiss to Yusuke’s hair. With the film finally over, the boys stay in bed, rehashing various points of the film. Yusuke claims he is too scared to walk back to the station just yet, so Akira checks his phone for the time and decides that it’s still early enough in the night to hang out for just a while longer. He puts on a nature documentary to lighten the mood. This particular series is focusing on wild plant life in various continents. Yusuke and Akira challenge each other to see who can point out more flowers that they recognize. It turns out they’re pretty evenly matched.

“I didn’t know you had learned so much about flowers” Akira comments.

“Yes well, I must be sure I’m carefully selecting the most perfect and impressive flowers after all”.

“About that…” Akira starts.

“Yes?” Yusuke asks innocently.

“Why are you buying so many bouquets? I know for a fact you can’t afford it. Just recently you got excited to find a 10 yen coin on the ground. So why do you keep spending all of your money on bouquets when you could just paint flowers that grow in the parks and gardens around Tokyo?”

“I’d rather not say”.

Akira grows frustrated. “Well then who are you buying them for? It’s not fair to just show up to my job every single time I’m at work and ask me to arrange flowers for some mysterious date. Why can’t you just be honest with me?”

“I’m not being dishonest with you, Akira. I’d just rather not say. I’m not ready to tell you”.

“Not ready to tell me who you’re obviously trying to win over? Why would you hide that from me of all people? I thought we trusted each other” Akira cries, getting more upset.

“Of course I trust you”.

“So then tell me who you’re dating”.

“Akira, I--”

“Spit it out, Yusuke”.

“Please, Akira. Respect that I am not ready to tell you the reason for my bouquet purchases”, Yusuke says, hurt.

“What’s the big deal? I just want to know who you’ve been pining over is all”, Akira says, jealousy evident in his voice.

“Couldn’t I ask you the same thing? What’s the big deal if I purchase bouquets with my own money? Why is it bothering you so much?” Yusuke asks, genuinely confused.

“Forget it, just go home. I’m sick of talking about this”, Akira says, getting out of bed and putting the table and TV back to its proper space along the wall.

“Akira, I’m not dati--”

“I said go, Yusuke. I’m tired and I want to go to sleep” he says, already taking out his pajamas from the storage box.

“If you insist...until next time” Yusuke says sadly, seeing himself out.

Akira flops onto the bed and groans. Morgana jumps down from his spot across the room by the stairs and heads over to the bed, leaping up to rest besides Akira.

“You okay?”

“No.”

“I’m sure there’s an innocent reason as to why Yusuke’s buying so many bouquets…” Morgana tries.

“Then why is he being so secretive about it? He could just tell me and then we wouldn’t be having this fight.” 

“Maybe the flowers aren’t for a date after all...besides have you seen the way he looks at you? It’s hard to imagine him crushing on someone besides you, to be honest.”

Akira’s chest tightens. “Not helping”.

Morgana lets out a sigh. “Moody humans…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gardenia: lovely, joy, secret love  
> Stock: lasting beauty, happiness, the bonds of affection (I'm crying rn)


	7. Chapter 7

Heat and anxiety made it hard for Akira to fall asleep. He had tossed and turned for nearly a full hour before easing into sleep and he groans when the ringing of his phone wakes him back up not 10 minutes later.

“You really should put it on silent overnight”, whines Morgana without opening his eyes.

He had a point. Akira squints at the bright screen of his phone in the darkness. It’s Mishima.

_”I got some intel that some weirdo’s been showing up at the planetarium._  
_Since we’re on summer vacation, you should come and help me investigate._  
_We have to punish that deviant and save the children of summer vacation!_  
_Let’s go together tomorrow!”_

Akira decides to commit.  
_”Let’s go.”_

Nishima is quick to respond.  
_”Alright!_  
_It’s the planetarium in Ikebukuro, where there have been sightings of weirdos._  
_See you tomorrow. Good night.”_

Akira locks his phone and sighs as he tries to fall back asleep.

\---  
Since Akira had been to the planetarium so recently with Yusuke, he had no trouble retracing his route on the subway and finding Mishima at the ticketing entrance. On their walk up the stairs and around the balcony, Mishima elaborated on the rumors about this ‘weird eccentric’ they were investigating. Oddly enough, Akira was reminded of Yusuke as Mishima listed off all the facts about the eccentric. He was equal parts amused and hurt, endeared by all of Yusuke’s quirks that were currently in the forefront of his mind, but sad as he remembered their fight and Yusuke’s lack of communication. They hadn’t spoken since the other night.

He follows Mishima into the dimly lit, starry room. Mishima decided that the best course of action would be to eavesdrop and people watch. Luckily, Akira is able to actually see his way around to room this time, as the planetarium was due to screen a show in 20 minutes, and the room was slightly lighter than it had been previously in order to allow people to find seating.

They weren’t there but five minutes when Mishima gets a lead, pointing across the room to a tall, thin person with blue hair. Akira freezes with tension, his conflicting emotions of longing and frustration only intensifying as he sees Yusuke from across the room. What was he doing here? It didn’t seem like he was here with anyone, but then again there were still 15 minutes until the program was set to begin, so perhaps he was waiting for someone? Akira’s heart stops. Could he be waiting for the very same person for whom he’d been buying the bouquets? That had to be it. Suddenly, Akira realizes that Mishima has been trying to get his attention for some time now.

“Akira. Akira! Are you even listening?” Mishima says, annoyed.

“Uhh yeah. I know him” Akira says, eyes still glued to Yusuke, not willing to miss his chance at seeing Yusuke’s mysterious date.

Just then, Yusuke turns their way and he’s surprised when he recognizes Akira from across the room.

“Oh shit, he’s headed our way”, Mishima gasps, clearly not prepared for how he would handle this ‘weird eccentric’.

Akira’s heart is pounding as Yusuke strides across the room towards them. What should he even say to him?

“I thought I saw a familiar face”, Yusuke greets them calmly. “I came to experience the mysteries of the universe. I’m glad to see you here as well”.

“It’s him! The eccentric!” Mishima cries, filling Akira with dread and embarrassment.

“How rude”, replies Yusuke defensively. “I expected your chosen company to be more eloquent”, he says, his tone thick with bitterness.

This could not possibly be going worse.

“Well at least Akira HAS company!” Mishima retorts, offended. “It’s not like you’re here with anyone!” he continues.

“He’s probably waiting for his date. No flowers today?”, Akira goads, surprised at himself for siding with Mishima rather than de-escalating the conflict.

Yusuke looks hurt by this final comment. “Akira, if you must know, I came here today by myself because I’ve felt so down since our argument the other night. I didn’t feel at all like painting today, so I returned to Ikebukuro to relive the afternoon we had spent together to remind me of happy times in an effort to make myself feel better. I understand how frustrating it must be to have a secret kept from you regarding the bouquets I’ve purchased, but if you didn’t so rudely interrupt me the other night, you would have heard me trying to tell you that I am not dating anyone. This is unlike you, Akira. Can’t you see that I wouldn’t want to do anything to hurt you? I may be some ‘weird eccentric’ to you, but I do have feelings, you know” he says, eyes starting to shine with the threat of angry tears.

So turns out, it could possibly get worse after all.

“Yusuke…” Akira says quietly, full of guilt. He knows he’s messed up this time. Mishima looks horrified.

“Don’t”, Yusuke says, turning to leave without a goodbye.

“What...just happened?” Mishima says, very confused by the turn of events.

“I’m an ass”, Akira says, voice hollow.

“Okay…”

“And I need to go. I owe you dinner” Akira says, taking off at a jog to catch up to Yusuke.

“Better make it sushi!” he hears Mishima call after him.

Bursting through the door, Akira scans the circular balcony. He spots Yusuke going down the stairs to the lobby at the end of the walkway. Akira jogs through the crowd and rushes down the stairs. Just as Yusuke as walking through the center of the lobby, past all of the little planet sculptures, Akira catches up to him, grabbing his shoulder.

“It’s time we get that post-planetarium ice cream. And talk”, Akira says, panting.

Yusuke studies his face, clearly still hurt by what had just happened upstairs.

“Frozen yogurt. And I can choose as much toppings as I want”.

“Oh my god, fine” Akira concedes, smile creeping in despite himself. Yusuke suppresses his own grin, anger not yet abated enough to be swayed so easily by free dessert and Akira’s charming crooked smile.

They walk two blocks in silence before arriving at the nearest frozen yogurt joint. Akira doesn’t have much of an appetite, so he just mixes the chocolate and vanilla flavors, adding some crushed cookies at the toppings bar. Yusuke is taking his sweet time, however. He has taken it upon himself to intricately swirl three different flavors together, and Akira is rather certain that these flavors are chosen for their color coordination rather than their flavor combination. There’s no other explanation for why Yusuke had chosen to mix mint, peanut butter, and root beer. His toppings were no better. Yusuke took his time to pick out only the dark green and clear gummies, mixed nuts, and fresh blueberries. Akira was equal parts disgusted and impressed. Although he would never eat that frozen yogurt himself, he had to admit that the precise mixing and placements of colors and textures made for a weirdly beautiful abstract frozen yogurt art. It was earthy, and the blueberries gave it a pop of cool tones that really complimented the warm tones in the peanut butter yogurt. How did Yusuke even manage to do that? A rush of affection replaces just a bit of Akira’s anxiety.

The two take their seats at a table towards the back, away from other customers. Neither of them speak for a full minute while Yusuke fidgets with his food and Akira takes just one slow bite of his own. 

“I’m sorry”, Akira begins. “My behavior back there and the other night was uncalled for”.

Yusuke considers this. “I accept your apology, but tell me--what has gotten into you?”

Akira sighs. “I’m just stressed out”.

“What about?”

“The flowers”.

“Why are you so fixated on this?”

“Well, wouldn’t you be? You keep buying bouquets and running off on our plans. You left the planetarium in a rush saying there was somewhere you had to be...or someone you had to meet. You’re dodging questions from me and our teammates. Of course I’d assume you’ve been seeing someone. It’s obvious that you’re trying to win someone over. I just wish you wouldn’t hide something like that from me”, Akira explains in a much calmer manner than he had in the attic of Leblanc.

“Well, as I told you in the planetarium, I am not dating anyone”, Yusuke says firmly.

“Yeah…” Akira says with a breath of relief.

“But...you are not wrong that I am trying to win someone over with those flowers”, he admits.

“Oh…” Akira says, crushed. He begins fidgeting with his own food, unable to look Yusuke in the eye. Akira doesn’t notice, but Yusuke is smiling softly at him with warmth and tenderness.

“I know that may be hard for you to hear, but I need you to trust me. It will all become clear soon”.

“Okay…” he mumbles, still staring into his frozen yogurt. “Is it a Kosei student?” he tries, curiosity eating away at him.

“No…” Yusuke hesitates. “He’s a student at Shujin Academy” he confides.

“You’re kidding! Do you think I know him?” Akira says, eyes snapping to meet Yusuke’s, his interest piquing at this new information.

“That’s enough interrogation for now. I’d also like to ask you something, if that’s alright” Yusuke says, somehow still calm through this entire conversation.

“Yes?” Akira cocks his head, puzzled.

“I will be showing the painting I’ve been working on--Fragments of Longing--at Kosei’s art gallery. We always do a summer showcase to kick off the new semester. I’d like you to be there to see it, if you will”.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Yusuke. You know that”. 

“I am happy to hear that”, Yusuke says, grinning and looking at Akira affectionately. “Now that we’ve settled this, shall we finish our food and head out? I’d like to get back to my painting now that I’m feeling much better.

“You can’t tell me you’re actually going to eat that monstrosity” Akira says in disbelief, gesturing at Yusuke’s bowl with his spoon.

“Don’t you dare call this a monstrosity. Art comes in many forms.”

Akira just snorts in reply.

\---

Home alone and in his dorm, he spends the remainder of the evening making infiltration tools with Morgana, rehashing the events of the day for him. Akira was just finishing an element set and showing it off to Morgana, fishing for compliments.

“I can tell you’re getting better! At this rate you probably still have time to make more”.

Akira smiles in satisfaction, reaching for another cork bark to make a second element set. Morgana puts his paw on Akira’s hand to stop him.

“You’re not going to make some more lockpicks?” Morgana asks, with an inexplicably sneaky grin on his face.

“I already have three…” Akira replies, wary of Morgana’s suspicious tone of voice and matching evil grin.

“Don’t you want to be prepared for any locked chests?” he continues in a singsong voice, eyes dancing playfully.

“Yes…” Akira says, wondering where this is going.

“I just don’t want you to miss a chance to have Yusuke lean on you while you open a chest, that’s all”.

“Shut the hell up” Akira says, rolling his eyes.

“Aww are you embarrassed?” Morgana teases, licking his paw.

“Why are you like this”.

“I have to get my kicks some how” he says, snickering.

“By harassing teenagers?” Akira replies, unimpressed.

“I think you mean by harassing oblivious teenagers who subject everyone to their crushes without actually doing anything about it?” Morgana quips dramatically.

“Do not”.

“Do too”.

“No way. Didn’t you listen earlier to what I told you? He’s into someone else at my school, so…”

“You, a Shujin student with whom he spends all of his free time, could not _possibly_ be the object of his desires. You’re right. How naive of me to think that the boy who gave you a flower, comes over every few days, and takes blows for you in the metaverse could ever reciprocate your painfully obvious affections”. He drawls sarcastically.

“Ann takes blows for me in battle too but she’s in love with Shiho, not me, so explain that”, Akira remarks indignantly.

“You are so thick sometimes. I’m right. You’ll see.”

“Morgana, I truly wish you were” he says with a sigh, getting to work on the lockpicks.


	8. Chapter 8

Akira finds himself in the last weekend of summer vacation. His break had been a great one, and he decides to make the best of what time he had left before he returned to Shujin and Yusuke returned to Kosei. He’d miss their lazy afternoons, so he starts his Saturday morning already making mental plans to meet up with Yusuke. He heads to the Shibuya Underground just as the heat of the sun starts to shift the day from pleasantly warm morning to scorching afternoon. Yusuke is exactly where Akira had expected to find him, leaning against the wall and sipping a juice from the drink stand.

“Looking for me?” Yusuke asks between sips, barely bothering to move his mouth from the straw.

“Who else?” Akira says with a big smile, running his hand through his hair.

“Do you need me to duplicate a card for you? Or do we have business in Mementos today?” 

“No, I just wanted to see you. It’s the last weekend of our break you know...so we won’t be seeing as much of each other once we return to school and have to focus on things like homework and exams and deadlines”.

“Yes, as much as I’ll miss the poor ventilation of your attic bedroom, I’ll unfortunately have to pass today. I am on my way to the gallery at Kosei for the art installation. I’ll need to be sure the placement of my painting is just right”, he replies, apologetic. 

“I’ll come help you! Especially if it means that I get a private showing of Fragments of Longing before opening night,” Akira offers playfully.

“That’s very kind, but no. You can wait until tomorrow like everyone else.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Do you have other plans?” Yusuke asks dryly.

“Nope, I kept the weekend open actually.”

“Perfect”, Yusuke says, beaming. “Oh and Akira?”

“Hmm?” he hums, tilting his head.

“Please look your best tomorrow evening, not that you ever have a problem with that before”, Yusuke says. Akira feels his chest tighten, charmed by the allure in Yusuke’s voice.

“Will you be dressed up as well?” Akira asks, eager to see what Yusuke puts together for his idea of a formal outfit.

“But of course.”

“Wonderful. Well I’ll let you get to it then”, he says touching Yusuke’s arm gently before turning and heading off. 

\---  
Akira spends the rest of his afternoon running errands for the Thieves. He bumps into Ann in the Underground as well, and they spend a little bit of time together by grabbing some snacks at a FamilyMart and sitting against the wall of a low-traffic hallway. 

“What’re you plans for the weekend?” he asks her, biting into a red bean steamed bun.

“Well tonight I’m having a girls night with Makoto, we’re trying to become closer you know. Us girls gotta stick together in the Phantom Thieves. I think we’re just going to have a sleepover and do some face masks and paint nails and gossip. Oh, and tomorrow I’m going to visit Shiho in the hospital.”

“Oh yeah? How’s she doing recently?” he asks between bites, hopeful for good news.

“A lot better actually. Her rehab is going very well and I’m always so impressed with how hard she works day in and day out. Tomorrow is her day off from some of the more intense physical therapy routines, so I’m mostly going to do some stretches with her and maybe stream a k-drama on her laptop.”

“That sounds really lovely actually.”

“Yeah, it should be a nice Sunday afternoon. What about you, Akira? Got any plans?”

“Nothing much for today. Just a shift at Rafflesia this evening.” He checks his watch, mentally noting that his shift would be starting in about three hours. “But tomorrow Yusuke invited me to the opening of the art show at Kosei. He’ll be showing his new painting.”

“Ooh, that sounds exciting!” she replies merrily. “Soooo,” she begins, her tone of voice playful and devious, “how are things with you two? I mean, with you and Yusuke.”

“What?”

“Oh come on, you know what I mean! How are things! Have either one of you confessed to the other yet? It’s getting hard to watch honestly,” she says teasingly.

“W-we….I--”

“Don’t try to deny it, Akira.”

“Okay! Okay. No I haven’t told him how I feel. But that’s only because I’m not certain that he likes me back! He said he’s trying to win over a Shujin student--and before you interrupt, yes, Morgana already pointed out that I am a Shujin student--and even after our little fight he didn’t give me the impression that he likes me. So, I don’t know, Ann. I don’t know if I should say anything or just leave it be.”

“If you don’t tell him, you’ll regret it! I’m glad that I had the chance to tell Shiho when I did. Besides. It’s so obvious that he likes you. For someone so observant, you’re nearly as oblivious as he is in this situation. It’s pretty out of character, honestly.”

Akira sighs. “Okay. Well then what would your advice be?”

“Win him over yourself,” she says very matter of factly.

“And just how do I do that?” he asks, skeptical.

“Well tomorrow is his art show right? So why don’t you tell him then? Or if you don’t want to just come right out and tell him, then do something special for him. It’s a special evening after all, so try to do something that shows how much you care and how proud you are of him.” 

“Like...a gift?” he tries, uncertain.

“Yeah! Like a gift! You work in a flower shop right? Why not bring him flowers?”

Akira shakes his head, pulling a face. “If I make Yusuke one more damn bouquet I swear to god Ann--”

“Okay no bouquet. Noted. What about a ring? Or a bracelet or necklace?” her face lights up at her own idea, and then her eyes widen, “Oh! What about matching rings or bracelets! That would be cute!”

“That is so cliche I just might die.”

“Whatever, I thought it was cute,” she huffs, pulling the chain around her neck to reveal a pendant that had been hidden beneath her shirt. It was one half of a heart, likely the other half belonging to Shiho. Akira smiles fondly at Ann. 

“I’m sure I’ll think of something, thanks for your input,” he says politely as she tucks the pendant back into her blouse.

“Alright! Go get ‘em, tiger!” she cheers.

The conversation dies down from there and they hug goodbye at the train platform as Ann catches the subway to the Niijima apartment across town. Akira turns back and makes his way to Central Street to complete his errands, mind lost on trying to think of ideas on how to impress Yusuke tomorrow. He plays through countless scenarios and options in his mind as he steps in and out of shops, ticking item by item off his to-do list. He would need serious help if he were going to pull anything off tomorrow. Or maybe he just needed some confidence. Akira is just stepping out of the video rental store (Was he seriously 60 days late returning a single DVD? How had he managed that?) when he bumps into Mishima.

“Oh, Akira, hey! You free tonight?” he asks enthusiastically.

“Sorry, working. I’ll text you next time I’m free though,” he offers.

“Damn, alright. Well if you get off work early, let me know! I’ve been bored out of my mind recently.”

“You know what, maybe I will. I’ll text you if anything comes up. Actually, my shift is starting in about 20 minutes, so I should be going. See you around.”

“Later!”

\---

The hours have slowly ticked by at his shift. It was now 9 PM and he was set to be free in just one more hour. He’s pruning some fresh red roses when Yusuke arrives, once again.

“I have one last bouquet to request of you this summer” he says with confidence, shoulders back and posture strong as he stands in front of the counter and looks straight into Akira’s eyes.

“Interesting. What’ll it be tonight then?” he asks, less stressed out by the mystery bouquets than he had been, which was a relief. Though he wonders if he jinxed himself earlier when he made that comment to Ann about never wanting to make Yusuke another bouquet.

“I require something that will sweep someone off their feet. I’m thinking perhaps some ranunculus, pink peonies, and maybe some lilac for good measure” he says, attempting to hide the excitement in his voice.

Akira can’t help but be a bit putoff and jealous that he would be making some kind of elaborate grand finale gesture of courtship for his one-sided crush. “Coming right up,” he says, maintaining composure. Moments later, he hands over the most complex bouquet yet, one full of magnificent flowers with tight, crisp, folds of petals wrapping around each other in endless layers of soft pink and white. The small, delicate lilac blossoms were definitely the perfect contrast, really making the soft delicate bouquet pop. Akira was impressed by the thought Yusuke must have put into the combination. Yusuke smiles in satisfaction at the bouquet, seeming to be lost in thought.

“This is exquisite. I will surely be successful with this. And before you ask how I can afford this, I did a small commission, so it will be no problem.”

Akira felt bittersweet. It was so touching to see Yusuke so happy and full of love, but Akira desperately wished that his affections were directed to him and not the mystery recipient of this final bouquet. “Well, good luck with that then” he says in defeat, trying his best to sound happy for Yusuke.

“Thank you. I must be off now before it’s too late! See you tomorrow!” he says eagerly, taking off with the bouquet, no doubt on his way to win over some lucky Shujin student.

Seriously bummed out and unsure of what to do tomorrow, Akira reaches for his phone and starts a new group chat with Mishima and Ryuji.

_Subject: Urgent_   
_I need support…_   
_Please come over._   
_I’ll be home in 45 min._

He locks his phone and only checks it again to see their replies. The last half hour of his shift keeps him busy as he helps Hanasaki lock up for the night, and before he knows it, he’s shuffling into Leblanc. He leaves the front door unlocked so that his friends can let themselves in, and heads upstairs and flops onto his bed. He stays this way for ten minutes before Mishima and Ryuji both show up. Ryuji seems to have brought a duffle bag. Was he planning on spending the night?

“Yo,” Ryuji greets, dropping the bag onto the table next to Akira’s school bag. “I brought beer”.

“You what?” Akira says, lifting his head from the pillow to shoot Ryuji an incredulous look.

“Who even are you,” Mishima says in disbelief.

“What! You said it was urgent so I thought maybe it was like the time you figured out I wasn’t into dudes and you snuck into some seedy izakaya with Mishima to try getting drunk.”

“You heard about that? Mishima!” he cries and groans into his pillow.

“Come on man, don’t worry about it. Anyways, these came from the shitty Asahi vending machine near that clinic, so drink up”.

“I don’t want to get drunk,” replies Akira, wary of Ryuji’s plans for the night.

“Dude how irresponsible do you think I am? I only brought one beer each for the three of us. So relax. I’m not really interested in getting wasted either,” he says defensively.

“Oh, actually that’s pretty nice of you then,” Mishima agrees.

“Okay, yeah. That doesn’t sound bad actually,” Akira says as he sits up in bed. Ryuji pulls the three small cans of cheap beer from his bag and pulls the metal tabs before passing them around to the other boys.

“So what’s the big emergency?” Ryuji asks, taking a seat on the edge of the table next to the TV.

“Well...I need some advice. It’s about Yusuke. I’m going to his art show tomorrow and I think I want to tell him how I feel,” Akira explains.

“Finally,” Ryuji mutters under his breath. Akira ignores him. Mishima nods in encouragement, signaling for Akira to continue speaking.

“I think it will be a special night for him. He seems to be completely out of his art slump after that Desire & Hope painting, and he even asked me to dress up for the opening night tomorrow,” he continues, holding his beer but not having sipped it yet.

“Well then it sounds like you’ll have no problem then,” Mishima says cheerfully.

“Yeah but there’s a catch,” Akira counters, looking down at his knees, “he told me that he’s trying to win over a Shujin student--” he shoots Ryuji a look, as Ryuji looked like he was about to interrupt, “--and tonight towards the end of my shift at Rafflesia, he showed up and bought a bouquet that he plans on giving to that guy he has a crush on. Morgana and Ann thought I was the Shujin student that Yusuke is crushing on, but I’m not so convinced anymore. After Yusuke left with the bouquet, I didn’t see him again. So I can only reasonably assume that he had gone to meet the actual recipient soon after”.

Mishima nods, taking it all in. Ryuji still looks like he has something to say.

“Bullshit, there’s no way any other Shujin guy holds a candle to you man,” Ryuji says passionately. “Mishima and I ain’t leaving until we help you come up with the perfect strategy for tomorrow.”

“Y-yeah!” Mishima joins in, tightening his free hand into a fist.

“Thanks guys,” Akira says, feeling better now. “How about we start by choosing what I should wear tomorrow?”

“Can we really be any help with that? You’re the fashionable one,” Mishima says awkwardly.

“Just your company will be reassuring to be honest,” Akira admits shyly.

Ryuji beams at him. “Let’s do this! To stealing Yusuke’s heart!” he cheers, raising his beer up in the air. 

“To stealing Yusuke’s heart!” Akira and Mishima repeat, laughing and holding up their own cans of beer. All three boys take a sip, and then Akira walks across the room and starts pulling out his clothes from the storage box. He throws some button ups and a few pairs of pants onto the bed while Ryuji inspects each garment and Mishima fiddles with his phone, trying to find some music to play in the background. Akira heads back towards the bed and starts unbutton his shirt. He kicks off his jeans and takes another sip of beer before grabbing a grey cotton, short-sleeved button up from Ryuji’s hands. He pairs it with his black skinny jeans and black boots. He leaves the top two buttons of his collar unbuttoned, exposing the skin along his neck and collarbone, and rolls up the hems of the sleeves just a little bit. He throws on a silver watch and a leather strap bracelet for good measure. “How do I look?” he asks the others.

They look him up and down appraisingly, eyes scanning his body from head to toe.

“Do you want my honest opinion?” Ryuji asks, smiling from his place atop the table.

“Obviously,” says Akira, eager for feedback.

“You look hot, dude.”

“T-thanks,” Akira replies, blushing a little at the unexpected compliment.

“Something’s missing though...like a dash of color or a statement piece,” Mishima muses, hand on his chin and deep in thought, “what about a corsage?” he proposes.

A slow grin spreads across Akira’s face. “Mishima you’re absolutely brilliant!” he exclaims.

“I am?”

“Yes. What if I got matching rose corsages for tomorrow and gave one to Yusuke if things go well?”

Ryuji whistles and then says “You’ll have him swooning for sure if you do that”.

“Plus the red rose would really just pull your whole look together,” Mishima adds, nodding in agreement.

“Great. Thanks guys, I’m actually pretty excited now,” Akira says happily, drinking more of his beer in celebration.

“Okay now we just gotta figure out what you’re gonna say when the time comes,” Ryuji says with enthusiasm.

The boys spend the rest of the night chatting, eager to see what tomorrow would bring. The boys ended up spending the night at Akira’s, with Ryuji sharing the bed and Mishima taking the couch. Akira sleeps soundly and has pleasant dreams, hopeful that he stands a chance to be with Yusuke despite the mixed signals he had been receiving as of late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ranunculus - I am dazzled by your charm  
> Pink Peonies - Bashfulness  
> Lilac - First love
> 
> Chapter 8 was the only chapter I got stuck on plot wise, but I already know what I'll be writing for the final chapters, so those should be posted in the next day or two! I can't believe how quickly I wrote this lol.


	9. Chapter 9

He wakes up and prepares breakfast and coffee for Ryuji, Mishima, and himself. Morgana doesn’t join them, opting instead to sleep in. He hadn’t been able to share the small bed with Akira and Ryuji both occupying it and had seemed to sleep elsewhere in the attic. After a hearty breakfast and some last minute encouragement from his friends, Akira sees the other boys off and begins getting ready for his day once Sojiro arrives to properly open the cafe.

He’s just left the shower on gone upstairs to change when he takes notices of Morgana’s absence. He’s gone off on his own around town before, but Akira can’t help but feel concerned. He briefly checks around his room to see if Morgana may still be sleeping somewhere, but doesn’t see him. He doesn’t spend too long looking, however, as he’s still in just a towel. Deciding to put off the search for Morgana until he’s fully dressed, Akira opens his storage box to pull out the grey button up and black skinny jeans that he had tried on the night before.

“Morgana, you bastard”, he says in disbelief. The cat has slept in his clothing box, right on top of his nice clean clothes.

Morgana stretches and yawns, spreading his paws and his little toes. “Mmm...morning Akira. Were you saying something just now?” he asks groggily.

“You are _such_ a cat sometimes! I can’t believe you slept on the nice clothes and got cat fur all over them!”

“It’s not my fault that you gave me up for Ryuji. I was abandoned. Nowhere else to go.” he says sarcastically, clearly not feeling guilty at all for making his formalwear into a cat mattress.

“Get in the bag, we’re going to the laundromat” he says, pulling the clothing out from under Morgana who hasn’t moved a single inch. 

“Do I have to?” he asks, curling back into a little ball and closing his eyes.

“You can nap in the bag.”

Morgana takes his sweet time stretching and slowly walking to the table, jumping up, and crawling into Akira’s bag. Akira grabs the dirty clothing and swings his bag onto his shoulders, heading across the street the the laundromat. After shoving his clothes into an empty washing machine, Akira takes a seat and opens his journal to record everything he’s been up to recently. It’s nice for him to be able to process his feelings on paper sometimes, and he’s grateful that Sojiro had been so adamant about keeping a regular diary when he first moved into Leblanc. He’s currently writing about all of the weird conflicting feelings and interactions he’s had with Yusuke recently, but he is trying to stay optimistic. He pauses and flips to the end of the journal to look at the stock flower he had pressed between the pages. He warms at the memory and stares lovingly down at the pressed flower for a moment before returning to his current entry. His writing takes a decidedly mushy and wistful tone. Just as he’s finished subjecting his journal to all of his pent up adoration for Yusuke, his laundry finishes. He gathers up his clothing, journal, and outfit-ruining cat and heads back to Leblanc to go about the rest of his day.

\---

Giddy with excitement and anticipation he arrives at Kosei High Art Gallery, the red rose corsage pinned over his heart with the matching piece carefully tucked away in his bag. He scans the room looking for Yusuke and taking note of all the displays around the room. There are dozens of paintings--watercolor, oil, acrylic--as well as countless sculptures made from marble, clay, and wood. There’s even one structure melded from metal. He notices that there are also some fiber art pieces as well, large embroidery pieces taking up their own wall with the threads from one hoop bleeding out like a colorful web before being woven back into the fabric of another hoop, perhaps symbolizing the connected fabric of life Akira guesses at a glance. 

With no sign of Yusuke, he begins to show himself around the room keeping an eye out for any painting that may fit Yusuke’s style. He walks around a the erected gallery walling in the center of the room, which reveals even more paintings that had been blocked from his view upon initially entering the Kosei Gallery. He sees a 30 X 40 inch canvas with abstract splashes of color on it, which must be Yusuke’s submission. Akira is proud to have remembered the specifics of canvas sizing, a niche fact he had learned from reading art books in his room with Yusuke all summer. He takes even strides over to it, glad that no one else is currently crowded around the painting. Sure enough, the placard beside the painting reads _Fragments of Longing, no. 2 in a series on Desire, by Kitagawa Yusuke_. He stands a few feet away from it and starts taking in all of the individual details. He can’t tell for sure, but it appears that the center of the canvas features full yellow tulips and calla lilies in varying states of bloom and decay. Around them are splotches of familiar color, which look to Akira like hundreds of scattered flower petals, also in various states with some looking to be crushed, some freshly plucked, and others wilted. He squints in concentration to see if he can name any of the flowers based on the petals alone. Shifting his weight onto one leg, he crosses his arms, focusing on the anemones, gerbera daisies, chocolate cosmos… He shifts his weight again, knitting his eyebrows together. Oxalis, yarrow, marigolds….and was that? Gardenia. Peach stock.

“Oh,” he breathes, suddenly weak in the knees. As the breath leaves his lungs and his heart starts to burn, he feels a hand press into the small of his back, and suddenly Yusuke is to his left, looking forward to the painting as well. Akira barely tilts his head away from the painting, and looks at Yusuke’s face from the corner of his eyes. Yusuke looks pleased in a way he hadn’t really seen before.

“Welcome. I see you’ve already found my piece. What does it make you feel?” he asks calmly, hand still resting intimately on Akira’s lower back.

Akira swallows. “I feel…” he begins, daring himself to finish the sentence, “...like my heart will beat out of my chest” he confesses.

There is a meaningful pause before Yusuke speaks. “That is how I felt as I painted it”.

Encouraged by the response and all the implications contained within it, Akira blushes fiercely and remembers the corsage in his bag. He pulls away from Yusuke’s hand on his back, taking his first proper look at him. Yusuke is dressed in fitted black pants, a white floral dress shirt with bursts of red and blue roses hidden beneath a buttoned, grey smoking jacket. One arm is tucked behind his back, almost as if he were hiding something behind his body. He’s so handsome that Akira can hardly take it, almost wanting to look away. Yusuke is similarly appraising Akira’s attire.

“You look quite handsome. The rose corsage is a nice touch of color I must say,” he says, impressed.

“Actually, I-I have something for you,” Akira manages to say despite how dry his mouth had suddenly become. Willing his hands not to shake, he reaches into his bag and removes the matching corsage. Yusuke’s eyes widen when he realizes the meaning, and he looks at Akira with an expression of pained adoration. Neither boy speaks as Akira pins the matching rose to the pocket of Yusuke’s jacket. Like the moment in Rafflesia when Yusuke had given Akira the peach stock flower, Akira lets has hand linger gingerly on Yusuke’s chest. Is his heart pounding too? Or was that Akira’s pulse drumming madly? It was hard to tell. He looks up and meets Yusuke’s eyes, faces so temptingly close together. Akira speaks first.

“So that’s what the bouquets were for? Your painting? Why all the secrecy?” he asks, hoping now he would finally receive answers to every question which had plagued him this summer.

“I wanted to wait until now to tell you that Fragments of Longing was painted for you” he admits quietly.

Akira is dizzy with infatuation, his body so high on longing that he’s completely drowned out his surroundings. Nothing else mattered to him anymore besides closing the gap between their lips. His right hand still on Yusuke’s chest beside the rose corsage, Akira raises his left hand to Yusuke’s cheek and guides his face down for a gentle kiss. They break away after just a second, and Akira’s body is screaming with desire. Yusuke’s face is an endearing shade of pink, and he lets slip a sigh of satisfaction. He pulls away just a fraction. Akira realizes Yusuke’s arm is still hidden behind his back, but not for long, as Yusuke smoothly moves the hidden hand into sight, revealing none other than the extravagant bouquet of ranunculus, pink peonies, and lilac that Akira had arranged just the night before.

“I also have something for you”, he says sheepishly, presenting the bouquet to Akira.

Akira is stunned. He takes in the details of the petals in a way he never has before. The flowers seem to bloom just for him, the floral scent leaving their mark on the moment to linger in Akira’s memory.

“Do you know the meaning behind ranunculus?” Yusuke ask softly. Akira shakes his head no. “It means ‘I am dazzled by your charm’. And I am, Akira. You overwhelm me with your beauty, inside and out.” 

Akira can’t bring himself to form a coherent reply, he just looks into Yusuke’s shining eyes with such reverence, and so, Yusuke continues speaking. 

“And pink peonies? They signify bashfulness...clearly I was too shy to tell you my feelings until now. And lilac…” he pauses, taking a deep breath, “...they mean ‘first love’,” he concludes, studying Akira’s face as he awaits a reply to his confession.

“You had me arrange my own bouquet?” Akira spits out in a meager response. Yusuke actually laughs at that.

“I know it’s unconventional, but I trusted no one else to put the same amount of love and attention to detail into such a beautiful and important bouquet. It had to be you,” he explains.

“So this whole time...I was the Shujin student you were crushing on?”

Yusuke laughs again. “Honestly, Akira, who else?” he asks with a chuckle.

“But you ran off from our date--I mean hang out--at the planetarium,” Yusuke raises his eyebrows in amusement at this, “and you said you had someone to meet!” Akira exclaims in confusion.

“Ah yes, that was a lie. You see, the reason I had to leave our _date_ , as you called it, was because I needed to capture the flower petals in a precise state of wilting. I had lost track of the time and needed to rush home in order to paint them while they still retained the beauty of life, but were just beginning to show signs of decay. Like when you pluck the petals one by one and discard them on the floor in longing. Hence the title of the painting”.

“Oh my god, I’m an asshole”.

“I wouldn’t go that far” Yusuke plays along, smile not having left his face since the kiss. “To be fair, I was being rather dodgy. But I couldn’t tell you about the painting or the flowers without confessing my feelings to you. And I wanted it to be here and now, when you can actually gaze upon what you make me feel. I’m better off with a canvas than with words after all” he concludes.

Akira takes a deep breath, before letting all his feelings out once and for all. “Yusuke. I like you too. A lot. Like more than I ever expected. And I know that’s obvious at this point--I mean with the rose and the kiss and all--but unlike you, I’m better with words than with paint. Honestly, you should see my diary, it’s ridiculous. And I should have told you sooner but I was afraid to mess it all up. I didn’t want our summer bliss to end and I didn’t want to lose any precious moments with you. I realize now I was worried over nothing, and you’re still here with me despite my impatience and unfounded jealousy. If that is what I do to your heart--” he gestures to the painting, ”--then what you do to mine is make me see the good in you everywhere I look. I see my memories with you everywhere I go, and every tender moment reminds me of how warm and loved you make me feel. You make me enjoy my hot stuffy attic, you make me enjoy your disgusting combination of frozen yogurt flavors, you make me enjoy watching old movies for the third time over just because I get to watch them with you by my side. I adore you, Yusuke. I absolutely adore you and I want to be able to tell you that every single day,” he finishes, winded from his heartfelt confession, relieved that he was finally able to tell Yusuke his true feelings.

“Akira…” Yusuke breathes, deeply moved.

“Will you be mine?” Akira asks, knowing the answer, but tingling with anticipation nonetheless.

“Obviously,” Yusuke beams, looking down at his now boyfriend who grins brightly up at him from over his bouquet of flowers.

Their lips meet once again, and without the adrenaline rush of the first kiss, Akira can fully appreciate Yusuke’s soft lips on his own. He’d like nothing more than to deepen the kiss, but he has become acutely aware once again that they are in a very public place and standing in front of one of the larger paintings on display in the gallery. Akira is almost embarrassed, but he’s been known to have a lot of courage, so he shakes off any uncertainty and remains present in the moment, face still inches from Yusuke’s.

“Well, shall we walk around? I’d like to show you some of the pieces by my closest classmates” offers Yusuke, extending his hand. Akira takes it with his free hand, still clutching the bouquet to his chest with the other. “And by the way, Akira,” Yusuke says, nodding back towards his painting, “as you may have noticed, the featured flowers in the center are tulips and calla lilies, the first of which serves as a declaration of being hopelessly in love, and the latter signifying beauty and magnificent”. Akira hums in response, fully appreciating the amount of time and thought that went into every last detail of this painting. He now had a newfound appreciation for the bouquets he had been requested to make, touched to have been trusted with such an intimate project that held such a special meaning shared only between the two of them. Beaming, the sweethearts walk hand in hand through the gallery, discussing the techniques, symbols, and emotional effects of all the art that surrounds them.


	10. Chapter 10

A week had passed since their night at the art exhibit, and both Akira and Yusuke found themselves back at their separate high schools with their lazy summer afternoons together now only a memory. This did not mean the end of the warm weather, however, and both boys were eager to make the most of their evenings and weekends while the weather was still warm and the school workload remained manageable. After Yusuke’s perfectly planned surprise confession with Fragments of Longing, Akira had challenged himself to create an equally special evening for his boyfriend. It had only taken a few hours daydreaming in Ushimura’s class and texting Ann in Kawakami’s to come up with the perfect plan. And finally with the arrival of the weekend, tonight was the night.

Akira had only given Yusuke a few hints in order to prepare himself.

_”Pack an overnight bag._  
_And bring snacks._  
_I’ll handle the rest.”_

Those texts sent during lunch period were the only pieces of information that Yusuke would get, which made Akira feel quite smug considering how he had been left in the dark by Yusuke’s bouquets and painting for the duration of the summer.

 _”Let’s meet at the usual spot, near the drink stand.”_ Akira typed, gathering his own bags.  
_”I’ll admit I’m quite excited to see what you have prepared for us this evening.”_ replies Yusuke within a moment.  
_” <3”_ Akira sends off before pocketing his phone, throwing his overnight bag over his shoulder, and grabbing a large duffle bag with his right hand.

Within 20 minutes, the boys arrive at their meeting place in Shibuya. Yusuke eyes Akira’s two large bags curiously, but Akira ignores his expression, drops the heavy duffle bag on the ground, and greets Yusuke with a kiss on the cheek. The show of affection is still enough to make them both blush, but Akira is less flustered than previous touches and kisses had made him.

“Where exactly are we going?” asks Yusuke, completely composed minus the gentle pink blush on his cheeks.

“Well first we’re going to Shinagawa station via the Yamanote Line,” replies Akira unhelpfully with a smirk.

“And why would we be going there,” Yusuke gestures to their bags, “with all this?”

“We’re going there so that we can transfer to the Keikyu Line and head to Heiwajima station, obviously,” Akira answers, feigning ignorance to Yusuke’s true question of the final destination.

Yusuke sighs. “And are you not telling me our destination for any particular reason?”

“Oh, that,” Akira teases. “We’re going camping at Jonanjima Beach Park,” he confesses, beaming.

Smiling tenderly, Yusuke picks up his bag. “I look forward to it”.

\---  
Getting to Jonanjima was surprisingly easy, which was a relief. It took only about an hour’s time for the boys to arrive at the beach campsite where Akira paid the small overnight fee. The beach itself was relatively empty. Despite the hot weather, there were few campers around due to the start of the school year. It seemed that Akira and Yusuke were one of only four other groups along the mile stretch of sand. Looking around, they decide to walk south along the beach where there appeared to be the most space and privacy. Finally arriving at a space that Yusuke deemed appropriate and aesthetically pleasing, Akira is grateful to drop his heavy bags. Yusuke looks around, framing the scenery with his extended hands, one eye closed for perspective.

“So, I’ve been wondering. What is in the large bag of yours?” asks Yusuke, abandoning the task of framing the scenery in his mind’s eye.

“Well, Sojiro lent me a small tent, some pillows, and some warm blankets. Plus I had to pack towels, fire supplies, and items to eat food with. Oh and Sojiro packed us curry and coffee!” Akira says, proudly itemizing the contents of his bag.

“You’ve put a lot of thought into this,” Yusuke says, equal parts impressed and touched.

“I know.”

“Don’t get arrogant, Kurusu,” Yusuke teases, unwilling to admit that he secretly loved some of Akira’s bold and arrogant quips.

“Says the cocky bastard who had me arrange my own confession bouquet,” Akira jokes, shooting Yusuke a half grin.

“That’s fair,” chuckles Yusuke.

“So, help me pitch the tent? We only have another hour of light left, and I’d rather spend that time watching the sunset with you rather than struggling with a tent in total darkness,” Akira says, laying the charm on thick.

“Allow me,” Yusuke replies graciously.

The boys work well together, which comes to no surprise after months of being teammates and weeks of learning how the other works. There’s almost no need for the tent given the warm weather and clear skies, but Sojiro had convinced him to use it anyway so that sand wouldn’t blow into their blankets and pillows overnight while they slept. Luckily, this small tent was quite expensive and had a flap in the roof that could unzip, revealing the view of the sky. Akira steps back to admire their handiwork, and Yusuke joins him by his side, wrapping his arm around Akira’s waist. Akira sighs contentedly and wraps his own arm around Yusuke’s waist in return, the sea to their backs. They stay like this for a while, side by side in each other’s arms, nothing but the gentle lull of the ocean to fill the silence and the occasional distant caw of a gull. The night has barely begun and Akira already knows this will be the perfect end to the summer season.

“I’d like to take you up on the offer to watch the sunset together,” says Yusuke, breaking the peaceful silence between them. “Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?” he asks, his arm falling from Akira’s waist, his body moving out of Akira’s grip, and his calloused fingers lacing through Akira’s. They turn, walking hand in hand toward the sea. Akira hadn’t really put much thought into that question before, and he knits his eyebrows together giving his answer serious thought before replying.

“I never really thought about it,” he begins, “but maybe the sunrise? I haven’t really seen many sunrises in my life to be honest, since I’m usually sleeping. But I think I’d like to witness one. To see darkness make way to light. It seems like a really pleasant way to start a day.”

“I see. Though I do like both, I’m rather partial to sunsets. The colors are deep and elegant, and the feeling it gives me is bittersweet. Like a feeling of contentment mixed with the sorrow of a goodbye.”

“Sappy artist,” teases Akira.

“And yet you’re dating me,” he says dryly, playing along.

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” says Akira, turning to face Yusuke and flashing him a charming smile.

The two reach the edge of the water and sit down with their bare feet in the sand, knees bent. Akira puts his arms behind him, supporting his weight with his hands and locking his elbows. Yusuke mimics him, but lets his hand rest gently over Akira’s fingers. It reminds Akira of the time at the planetarium, when he dared to leave his fingers touching Yusuke’s. He smiles fondly at the memory. Little does Yusuke know, this date is about to become an extension of that same outing.

“Because this shoreline faces east, we won’t see the sun set over the horizon, but the colors should still be beautiful,” notes Yusuke. “We are, however, perfectly positioned to watch the sunrise, if you’d like to wake early tomorrow to see it”.

“I would love that, Yusuke,” he replies, affectionately bumping Yusuke’s shoulder with his own.

They turn and watch the orange and pink colors dance over the ocean, quickly changing to reds and purples, and soon, black. Sometimes they make easy conversation, and sometimes, they share comfortable silence. With the sun finally set, the two make their way back to the tent to finally eat some of the curry that Sojiro had prepared. Yusuke prepares dishes and sets up the blankets and pillows inside the tent while Akira starts a fire. Neither task takes long, and Akira is relieved that he was able to successfully start the fire on his first try, not having started a fire since he was much younger and camping with his parents. With the sun now fully set, the air was getting cooler, so the heat of the fire and the warming sensation of the spicy curry came as a relief to them both. Stomachs full of delicious food, Akira offers to rinse the dishes. Yusuke crawls into the tent, calling out that he wanted to put on something warmer. When Akira returns from the water, rinsed dishes in hand, he see’s Yusuke laying on a blanket near the fire. He sets down his items, and makes his way over to his boyfriend, pretending to lunge into the air onto the blanket and faking Yusuke out at the last second. He crawls onto the blanket as they both giggle, and snuggles up into Yusuke’s side, resting his head on Yusuke’s chest.

“Wait--are you wearing my hoodie?” Akira asks, lifting his head to shoot a playful glare at his boyfriend.

“I like yours more. It’s more comfortable,” he replies stiffly.

“I’m not getting it back am I?”

“Nope.”

Akira laughs and lays his head back down, their bodies wrapped up in each other as they look up at the starry sky.

“Look, it’s the Ginza Line constellation,” Akira teases, pointing up at the Draco constellation.

Yusuke doesn’t even laugh at the joke, too touched as he realizes what this date is about. Akira catches on to Yusuke’s dawning realization.

“We spent so much time looking up at fake stars, that I figured we should come out here and see the real ones. I know how much you like natural beauty after all. And frankly those plastic stars you hung in my bedroom just weren’t cutting it,” he jokes, receiving a jab in the ribs.

Despite the joke, Yusuke is overwhelmed by affection. “It’s thoughtfulness like this that made me fall for you in the first place, Akira. You’re so keen and observant. You make everyone feel appreciated and loved,” he pauses, silence heavy around them, “you make me feel loved” he quietly admits.

Akira knows how much that must mean to Yusuke, an orphaned child brought up by a cold and calculating Madarame who saw him more as a convenience than a gift of human life worthy of love and adoration.

“Well that’s good,” Akira begins, “because I think I love you”.

Yusuke’s body tenses, but not from apprehension. He immediately props himself up on his elbow and turns his body towards Akira’s, looking him square in the face.

“What did you just s--”

“I think I love you, Yusuke” Akira repeats softly, the expression on his face filled with serenity and tenderness and warmth. Yusuke’s own face is one of shock, but true affection begins to register on his face as Akira’s words sunk into his skin, into his heart, becoming a part of him. It may be dark outside, but the glow from Yusuke’s eyes could light up Akira’s whole world.

Nothing more is said before Yusuke rolls on top of Akira’s body, pressing his mouth to Akira’s with need and intensity. Akira lets out a soft, surprised moan, but quickly relaxes into the moment. He shifts his weight underneath Yusuke, their legs intertwined with Yusuke’s right thigh between Akira’s legs, and Akira’s right thigh between Yusuke’s own. Yusuke is supporting his weight on his left forearm, allowing his right hand to clutch at the sweater fabric above Akira’s heart. Yusuke nips at Akira’s lower lip, eagerly looking to deepen the kiss. Akira lets out a sigh and parts his lips, allowing Yusuke’s tongue to enter his mouth. A rush of endorphins reaches Akira’s heart, taking in the almost sweet taste of Yusuke’s mouth. Longing and desire builds in his body, and he runs one hand through Yusuke’s long, soft hair, pulling at it gently. His other hand rests on Yusuke’s lower back, pressing their bodies closer together. Their makeout builds in intensity, both of their bodies straining with want. Akira grips Yusuke’s hair and pulls his head to the side, then uses his momentum to roll Yusuke onto his back. Now straddling Yusuke, Akira bends down and turns Yusuke’s head to the side with his left hand, bending down to leave kisses along his neck and jawline. Yusuke’s breathing is heavy, and Akira pulls away after giving a gentle bite to his collarbone. Yusuke’s face is clouded by desire, and Akira thinks he’s beautiful. He tells him so, and Yusuke’s eyes flutter open, smiling lovingly. Yusuke sits up, Akira now seated and straddling Yusuke’s lap. Yusuke wraps his arms around Akira’s waist, pulling him closer. Akira’s arms wind around Yusuke’s neck, and he tightens the grip of his legs around Yusuke. With the slight height advantage of sitting on his boyfriend’s lap, Akira presses their foreheads together, smiling too big to initiate another kiss.

“Can I expect such a passionate response every time I tell you how much I love you?” Akira says, his face still pressed to Yusuke, their noses bumping gently. Too bad Yusuke couldn’t see his cocky grin.

Yusuke shudders when he hears those words repeated to him once again. He reaches up and runs a hand through Akira’s messy hair, and guides his face slightly forward for a gentle kiss. “I admit it may take some getting used to, so perhaps” he breathes, voice rough.

Akira sits back on Yusuke’s legs, removing his arms from around Yusuke’s neck and moving instead to cup his face in his hands. He looks intently into Yusuke’s eyes, in a powerfully vulnerable moment. “I mean it. I love you, Yusuke,” he says with certainty, eyes unblinking. The intensity of the eye contact causes Akira to ache with desire and his heart swells. Yusuke hasn’t broken eye contact by the time he chooses to respond.

“I love you too, Akira. I love you under the fake dome of Ikebukuro, and I love you under the endless expanse of space. I love you sweaty in your attic and I love you with your goosebumps on this beach. I love how you smell of flowers and coffee and something _clean_ , like your own scent is artwork. I love you and I’m so glad you love me too. I cannot describe how I feel right now, here with you. I can’t put into words what you do to me”.

Akira beams back at him, kissing him on the cheek before replying. “You don’t need to be able to describe it, because I feel it too.”

They stay like this for a while, bodies wrapped up in each other on the sandy beach, only having eyes for each other and the brightly dancing stars above. Hours pass before they are cold and tired enough to return to the tent. Akira unzips the roof flap so that they can still look up through the mesh screen, now cuddled up with blankets and pillows. They sleep for hours with Yusuke holding Akira tight, spooning until the first light of morning. Through the mesh of the tent rough, Yusuke can see the darkness just beginning to break. Yusuke leaves gentle kisses on Akira’s shoulder and cheeks, giving a soft squeeze to his boyfriend’s hand until his eyes slowly open.

“I think we have a sunrise to watch” he greets softly.

He turns and looks to Yusuke’s tired, tender face. Akira thinks sunrise may have something to learn from the light and warmth that Yusuke makes him feel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! I'm really grateful that my first published fic got such positive feedback!  
> I dedicate this fic to my best rival <3
> 
> If you enjoy my writing & love P5, I'm currently developing a P5 dating sim! Please check out @p5fangame on twitter or tumblr if you wanna date yusuke/ryuji/goro!!


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